Relationship goals: Best power couples in literature

I guarantee that romance, in some form, has been part of every story you’ve ever read regardless of genre. With this in mind, I trace the power couples that have ruled literary pages throughout history.

Starting with Homer, the strength of Odysseus’ and Penelope’s love cannot be denied. Following the birth of their son, Odysseus goes to fight in the Trojan War, leaving his wife for twenty years. While he is away, Penelope must fend off 108 suitors who want to marry her. Her tactics to keep the men at bay reveal her intelligence but also her absolute fidelity to her husband. So while Odysseus fulfils his role as a great warrior, Penelope conquers battles at home to ensure the two are reunited in love at the end of The Odyssey. This is definitely one kickass couple.

While Odysseus fulfils his role as a great warrior, Penelope conquers battles at home to ensure the two are reunited in love at the end of The Odyssey

No matter how clichéd, Romeo and Juliet have to feature in a power couples list. Their deaths prove the strength of their love, but also highlight how trivial the feud between the Montagues and Capulets is. The couple risk everything to marry and be together, despite their fighting households, and their ‘untimely deaths’ end the ridiculous battle and prove that love comes before everything else.

Elizabeth and Mr Darcy are constantly singled out among Jane Austen’s creations, but I think Emma and Mr Knightly should also be recognised as a power couple. Their love teaches the novel’s main lesson: that a person should not exploit their superiority. The couple are a perfect intellectual match: it is their conversation which fuels their love for each other.

Not fictional, but an equally intriguing duo were F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, both writers and socialites. While the couple were similar, their relationship suffered ups and downs, with public arguments and love affairs with other people. Can they be viewed as a power couple? Despite the turbulence, the two stayed together until Scott’s death, and Zelda, who spent her remaining years in mental institutions, died eight years later. Their union was and still is symbolic of the Jazz Age; a time of change and wild, unorthodox living.

Scott and Zelda’s union was and still is symbolic of the Jazz Age; a time of change and wild, unorthodox living

Having moved through the history of literature, I end with Ron and Hermione. Their relationship is not idealised, which adds to its power. Their love grows over seven years, giving them time to form trust and friendship first. While they disagree, fight, clash and upset each other some of the time, just like real relationships, they also love, protect and bring out the best in each other. Most importantly, they subvert the stereotype of the hero getting the girl. Instead of Harry it is Ron, usually made to feel like second best, who ends up happily with Hermione.