Layla Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jason

In the story by Euripides, Medea gave up a lot for Jason. Medea's family guarded the Golden Fleece, which Jason had to obtain in order to claim the kingship of Iolcus. Falling in love with Jason, magical Medea promised to help him acquire the fleece, if he took her with him and married her.

This promise meant that Medea was eventually forced to kill her own brother and betray her family. She also had a major role in killing King Pelias when he refused to given up the kingship of Iolcus in spite of the fact that Jason did bring back the Golden Fleece.

While it appeared that Medea and Jason had ten happy years and five children together, Jason abandoned his family when he was given the daughter of the king of Corinth to marry. Although the story had many different conclusions, all end tragically with Medea killing two of her children and Jason's new wife.

Hell hath no fury....like a woman scorned.

Answer: Lancelot

Chretien de Troyes wrote about the affair between Lancelot, King Arthur's best knight, and Guinevere, the king's wife, while Thomas Mallory wrote that Arthur's blind eye to the affair - or his lack of knowledge regarding it altogether - brought down Camelot.

His knights could not give credence to Arthur's ability to rule IF in fact he didn't notice the affair or wouldn't stop it. Arthur did eventually sentence Guinevere to death by burning because of her infidelity, however, she was rescued by Lancelot.

The two lovers did not, however, live happily ever after. Lancelot lived for the rest of his life as a hermit, while Guinevere retired to a nunnery.

Answer: Peter Abelard

Heloise was a student of great renown who became a student of the famous scholar, Peter Abelard. While it is not known what the exact age difference was between the two, it is known that the result of their affair was the birth of a son, Astrolabe. After the couple secretly married, Heloise was sent to a nunnery; her guardian, Fulbert, believed that Abelard just wanted to abandon his ward, and some of his friends broke into Abelard's room and castrated him.

After that Abelard became a monk, and Heloise took Holy Orders, apparently against her wishes, and became an abbess. Seven letters of correspondence between the two after their separation still exist today. Abelard told her that he never really loved her, but only lusted for her, and she told him that marriage was a form of prostitution. YIKES! The two were eventually buried together, although today there is some disagreement as to where they are buried and if they are still buried together.

Answer: Dante

Dante wrote extensively about his love, Beatrice, and even included her as a guide in his "Divine Comedy". They met when they were children; he was nine and she was eight. He only saw her one more time after that, nine years later, while she was walking in the street.

This encounter led to the beginning of his collection of poems, "La vita Nuova". Sadly, she was eventually married to another man, and died just three years later. In reality, Dante really didn't know anything about her personality, although he wrote that she was "most kind" and "blessed", and once acknowledged she was "the glorious lady of my mind".

Answer: Salim

The story of Anarkali was first mentioned in the 1608 journal of a trader named William Finch; another story was written by nineteenth century Indian writer, Abdul Halim Sharar. There is much discussion as to the authenticity of the story; Finch arrived in India only eleven years after the supposed incident, however, Sharar specified that his story was a legend. Anarkali was a dancing girl and courtesan of Akbar, and bore him a son. Nevertheless, she fell in love with the emperor's son, Salim.

It was taboo for the son of the great emperor to fall in love with a person of such lowly status, and when Akbar realized this had happened, he did everything he could to keep the couple apart, sparking a war between the father and son, that, of course, the son lost. Realizing that her beloved was sentenced to death, Anarkali renounced her love, and was buried alive.

It is believed that there was a secret tunnel which allowed her escape, and Salim went on to become the great emperor, Jahangir.

There are many versions of this story, and many people have debated its historical validity.

Answer: Tristan

Thomas of Britain and Béroul, medieval poets, first wrote about the love affair of Tristan and Iseult of Cornwall, however, another story, "Prose Tristan" also exists. Of course, there are many versions of the story. Iseult was really to marry King Mark, who was Tristan's uncle. One story said the two accidentally ingested a love potion, which was meant for Mark and Iseult, while another claimed the couple purposefully took the elixir.

The potion never wore off, and while Iseult married King Mark, she also carried on an affair with Tristan. Believing he had proof of the relationship, the king sentenced Tristan to death by hanging, and Iseult to death by burning. Successfully escaping the punishment when Tristan agreed to leave and Iseult agreed to remain married to the king, Tristan moved to Brittany, where he married another Iseult - Iseult of the White Hands. Wounded in battle, he asked that he beloved Iseult travel to cure him after his wife could not.

When he was told by his wife that Iseult would not come, he died, and she, too, died of grief, after discovering his passing.

Answer: Narcissus

A myth from Ovid's "Metamorphoses", related the story of Echo, a beautiful nymph, and Narcissus. Echo was cursed by Hera and, therefore, was only able to finish a sentence, never saying anything on her own. Nevertheless, the nymph fell in love with Narcissus, who she saw chasing deer in the forest.

He rejected her love; unable to love anyone by himself, and staring at a pool at his own image, he wasted away. Echo similarly wasted away, until all that was left was a voice that everyone heard.

Answer: Pyramus

Featured in Ovid's "Metamorphoses", Thisbe and Pyramus lived in adjoined houses in ancient Babylon, victims of a feud between their families. They talked to each other from a crack in the wall, and arranged to meet near a mulberry tree. Thisbe arrived first, but quickly left after sighting a lioness who apparently, with a bloody mouth, had made a recent kill.

Her veil, however, was inadvertently left behind. After seeing the lioness and veil, Pyramus fell upon his sword; after finding her beloved, Thisbe did the same. Ovid's story is the oldest known version in existence, although many writers, including William Shakespeare, retold the tragedy.

Answer: Schroeder

From Charles Schulz's comic strip, "Peanuts", there are several "couples" who experience unrequited love, such as Charlie Brown and the Little Red-Haired Girl and Lucy, who is in love, and Schroeder, who wants to do nothing except play Beethoven on his piano. Lucy employed two techniques to try to win Schroeder's affection.

She praised Beethoven, celebrated his birthday, and tried to give Schroeder Beethoven statues, which he would not accept. None of those plans worked, but neither did her attempts to convince Schroeder that Beethoven wasn't a great composer. Of course Shroeder believed he will be a life-long bachelor because his idol was! In his 2009 book, "Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years", Schulz said that he wasn't sure why there was so much unrequited love, but it was something to which everyone could relate.

Answer: Majnun

Originating as a poem in 11th century Arabia, the story of Layla and Majnun has been adapted by many writers through the present day. After falling in love with Layla, Qays Ibn al-Mulawwah became so possessed that many believed him to be mad, thus earning him the name Majnun. Layla's father was unwilling to arrange a marriage with his daughter to a madman, so a marriage was arranged with a wealthy nobleman instead. Majnun became a wandering nomad, living in the desert on food his family would put out for him.

When Layla and her husband moved away, she fell ill, and died of heartbreak; Majnun was found dead near her grave shortly after.