Love Island: literary edition

Love Island is back! Once again Twitter is full of opinions, phrases like “muggy” and “my type on paper” are being thrown around un-ironically, and making plans between 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm is inconceivable. In the age of crossovers, we can hardly help but imagine… what would happen if some of our favourite literary characters entered the villa?

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)

This pair would couple up as soon as Lady Macbeth walks in. They would become a true power couple, like Jon and Hannah from Series One. As time went on, however, these two would reveal what really motivated them: the prize money at the end. Texts from their phones would show that Lady Macbeth was manipulating her partner, making him spread gossip in the villa. Lady Macbeth would finally get her hands dirty pushing Katniss Everdeen into the pool. The pair would also vote tactically, dumping the strongest couple from the island after winning a challenge but – after realising that the public were onto her – Lady Macbeth would ultimately quit the show.

Charlie and Sam (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Charlie would be too shy to step forward when any girl came in. Many viewers wouldn’t realise this was due to nerves and would likely think he was just fussy. Sam would, however, couple up with him. Although Charlie wouldn’t make a move throughout the series, he would frequently admit in the diary room that he fancied Sam and wished he could make her happy, frustrating many viewers.

Lady Macbeth would finally get her hands dirty pushing Katniss Everdeen into the pool. 

The couple would remain friends throughout the series and spend most of their time smoking on the rooftop, only coming down in the evening when it was time to party. At the reunion show, the pair would admit that they kissed when saying goodbye and had since started a relationship, making everyone wish they had become official in the villa as they likely could have gone on to win the show.

Maxim de Winter and Rebecca (Rebecca)

This couple would be less than a dream. Rebecca is intelligent and accomplished, meaning that everyone in the villa would like her… but she would only use this to her own advantage. No one but Maxim would notice her constant flirting, meaning that when he finally caught her trying to seduce Mr Darcy no one would believe him. Mr Darcy, of course, would avoid the spotlight and brood alone on the sun-loungers, meaning that Maxim would have to take matters into his own hands. Due to Rebecca’s ‘muggy’ actions he would couple up with a new islander in a surprise twist, leaving Rebecca single and dumping her from the island. Maxim’s new, younger partner would undoubtedly be greeted with contempt despite her innocence.

Edward Cullen (Twilight)

This teen favourite would be thrown in to complicate matters in the villa. The girls would naturally be attracted to him (he is literally engineered by nature to be perfect, we can’t blame them) but Love Island perhaps isn’t the show for him. Despite his chiseled chest he would wear long-sleeved hoodies every day to hide his demonic sparkle and would constantly remind everyone of his self-loathing. Edward’s time in the villa would come to an abrupt end with a forced dumping after frightening other contestants by watching them sleep.

Edward’s time in the villa would come to an abrupt end with a forced dumping after frightening other contestants by watching them sleep. 

Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

Elizabeth Bennet would be the last (original) girl to walk into the villa. Everyone else is coupled up apart from Mr Darcy, but he does not step forward when she enters. When Caroline Flack asks why, Darcy’s claims that she is “not handsome enough to tempt me”, would cause public outrage and lead to “#MoreThanTolerable” trending that night. Elizabeth avoids upsetting other women by coupling up with Mr Darcy anyway, hoping to wait until another (less arrogant) man enters the villa. Although he would continue to be the centre of much drama – advising another man in the villa to keep his options open as he could do better – Mr Darcy would never recouple and would slowly reveal his caring side, winning the hearts of the nation and Elizabeth alike. The dreamy sight of him swimming would also help too.