Shakespearean Lovers

About two and a half years ago now, I posted a piece on my favourite literary couples (http://ravingsofanalien.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-favourite-literary-couples.html). I have read a few more books since then and have met with some more interesting couples.

For the last 4 months or so, due to fandom and Twitter (here's looking at you, Tom Hiddleston and @HollowCrownFans) I have been reading more of the Bard and have come across some new couples.
So, thus far, these are my favourites...

1. Benedict and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing - these two make use of my favourite thing as foreplay...humour :))

2. Henry V and Katharine - Act 5 Scene 2. I need not say anything else. This entire scene is one of the most romantic I have ever read. But I leave you with the following quote...
"You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate. And there is more eloquence in a sugar touch of them than in the tongues of the French Council. And they should sooner persuade Harry of England, than a general petition of monarchs."

3. Marcius and Virgilia - Coriolanus. Okay, so this is a very bloody piece of drama from Shakespeare. It deals with politics and war and deception...and the stubbornness of the title character's character...

Caius Marcius Coriolanus is an absolute snob. He has been reared with a epic dislike and prejudice against any person who is not of the nobility and without the ability to mask it, or any of his true feelings on any subject. He cannot pretend.  "He would not flatter Neptune for his trident, Or Jove for ’s power to thunder." (3.1.321)

But with his wife, Virgilia...the beautiful names he calls her (My Gracious Silence, Best of my flesh), his gentle manner of speaking and dealing with her...we see a side that only comes out with her, a complete antithesis of the soldier he is in the rest of the play. 

On-screen romance

I am a sucker for on-screen romance.
For me, a good actor will make me believe that the fake chemistry on screen is absolutely real.

The following are some of my absolute favourite on-screen romantic scenes...

1. Stefan and Elena's first kiss on Vampire diaries. I stopped watching this series in the middle of season two because the story lines just stopped making sense and Elena works on my nerves. But Stefan is one of my absolute favourite fictitious characters...and let's not forget that he is smoking hot (how people can like Ian Somerhalder over Paul Wesley is beyond me).
And this scene...wow. Not smutty or disgusting.
Just...absolutely romantic.


2. Jesse and Lestat in Queen of the Damned. Now, yes, this movie will never even be considered for an Oscar. The story line was made a bit weird, and there was A LOT of bad acting. But I liked it. Because, again, I liked the chemistry between Jesse and Lestat...even though that wasn't explored a lot in this movie. My favourite scenes between them are three:

Meeting for the first time in an alley outside the Admiral's Arms

Flying through Los Angeles

When Lestat bites into Jesse at the end, she lets out this sigh...like its pleasurable and not painful.

3. Tom Hiddleston and Melanie Thierry as Henry and Kate in The Hollow Crown's Henry V. This has become one of my favourite plays and Act 5 Scene 2 has become my favourite romantic scene. What starts off as a political alliance morphs into the beginning of a beautiful relationship, and Henry, although he does not know how to 'mince it in love' woos her with his honesty. I absolutely love the fact that he takes his crown off before he kisses her.

Tom, this made me fall in love with you...