Echo & Narcissus
She could only echo; he loved only himself
The nymph Echo, condemned to only repeat the last words of others, falls in love with the beautiful Narcissus, who rejects her; punished by the gods, he falls in love with his own reflection and dies gazing at himself.
01Why it matters
It is the myth of unrequited love and of narcissism, which gave its name to a psychological complex.
02The conflict
Echo's inability to speak and Narcissus's vanity.
03The iconic moment
Narcissus leaning over the water; Echo fading until she is only a voice.
04What survived
Ovid's "Metamorphoses"; the narcissus flower.
05Frequently asked questions
Why is the story of Echo & Narcissus famous?
It is the myth of unrequited love and of narcissism, which gave its name to a psychological complex.
How does the story of Echo & Narcissus end?
Narcissus leaning over the water; Echo fading until she is only a voice. Ovid's "Metamorphoses"; the narcissus flower.
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