Love Plots

There are 5 basic love plots:

Love at first sight. This love scenario has been banned from storytelling ever since parents decided that it was "unrealistic" or whatever. They are complaining that the old Disney princess movies are bad models for children because they teach them that people can fall in love on the spot. Love at first sight is OK by me because some stories have too much action and don't have time to deal with how the two characters fell in love. Which would you rather watch, Prince Philip fight a dragon, or him slowly easing into a relationship with Aurora and dealing with his increasingly romantic feelings for her? Watch cool French Revolution battle scenes with amazing character development, or watch Cozete and Marius discovering their love for each other after their fiftieth date? Think about priorities! Just wrap all the falling in love stuff in a song and call it good.

Forbidden love. This often includes an unwanted arranged marriage.

Hate turning into love. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice was the pioneer in chic flicks. You know, the rich guy, the free spirited girl, and they hate each other. Or in this first case, the girl hates the guy.  Anyway, they hate and are annoyed with each other, and somehow they eventually fall in love.

And then there's the love triangle. In some cases, a character has to choose between the other two people in the triangle. But someone is always the odd one out.

I watched a recording of The Phantom of the Opera performed at Albert Hall. At the end, fifty something year old Sarah Brightmen sang the title song. For those of you uncultured buffoons  who don't know who she is, she's the original Christine. Singing with her were four actors who played the part of the Phantom many, many years ago.

It made me think. Love triangles are old. But what about a love hexagon? Why not have four Phantoms? Who are all in love with Christine?

I can just see it:

"Sing, my angel of music!"
"Sing for ME!"
"No, sing for MEEEEE!."
"No, me!"
"Ach! Not that high! That note hurts my ears!"

Ummm, how about no. One physio, deranged villain is quite enough.