And they lived... Fairytales vs Tragedies: Exploring different ends that makes an extraordinary love story.

Once upon a time... in a land far away, magical tales of love and perseverance were narrated to all who would listen. Some of these tales are famously known as, 'The Arabian Nights', spreading hope across borders for centuries. Over time, more and more tales began to surface that we now refer to as 'fairytales'. They almost always ended with the golden words, '...and they lived happily ever after'. In the beginning, these words often distinguished a love story from other genres.

However, as with everything, the genre of Romance evolved with time. While tragic love stories have always existed (Tristan & Isolde + Phaedra & Hippolytus, among the earliest of these tales), it was writers like William Shakespeare and John Keats, who immortalised tragic tales of love. Since then, the genre of Romance was clearly split into two sub-genres: Traditional Romance (stories ending with a, 'Happily ever after') & Tragedies. Of course, there are many other themes like, mystery, horror, fantasy, paranormal (to name a few) that are also sub-sections of Romance but they all fall under one of two main sub-genres mentioned above (based on how they end).

As the Romance genre evolved into these categories, so did the 'reader's preference' of the genre. It wasn't long before a fervent debate began: which is better, fairytales or tragedies? This debate led to the classification of the pros and cons of both these sub-genres.

Fairytales

Pros:

• Hope: Conveys the courage and resilience of the characters as they fight for love, while also showing the triumph of good over evil.

  
  

• Clear Morals: Clearly set personalities of characters and their actions make the morals of the story easy to understand for all readers.

  
  

• Escapism: Stories often feature magical elements that transport the reader to a world where anything is possible. This encourages creativity and fosters a sense of peace and happiness.

Cons:

• Great Expectations: It is argued that these tales can create false or unrealistic desires of love, relationships and life outcomes that skim over the hardships and challenges of real-life.

• Plot over Substance: Critics state that more often than not, these tales sacrifice depth of character and emotions, in the quest for a happy ending.

Tragic Love Stories

Pros:

• Depth & Substance: These stories are known for taking a deep dive into complex emotions, and prioritise the struggles of relationships and circumstances in a profound way.

• Relevance: Highlights themes like unfulfilled dreams, sacrifice and the difficult realities of life that allow the reader to better relate to the story.

• Philosophical Debates: Leads one to reflect on their own problems and struggles, which results in a better understanding of life in a personal and broader sense.

Cons:

• Negativity: A tragic ending can foster negative emotions such as, feeling hopeless and sadness.

• Triggers: Heavy themes can trigger one to re-live or create traumas from their own life experiences.

Having looked at each of these sub-genres in a broader sense clarifies our understanding of it. But by no means does it pit one over the other. At the end of the day, these debates are always solved through objectivity and personal preferences. My taste doesn't have to be yours and neither of us are wrong. Besides, many readers prefer both sub-genres depending on what they're in the mood for. Just because I prefer a HEA (Happily Ever After), doesn't mean I can't see the beauty of a well-written tragedy or that I'm unable to appreciate the profound emotions it ignites within me. Each of these endings will, at some point, triumph over the other because there are times that one is needed more than the other.

In conclusion, there is NO debate because neither is right or wrong. In a world where there is already great divide, we must strive towards inclusitivity and unity. I mean, come on, this is Romance after all! No matter their differences, fairytales and tragedies eventually both remind us of the same truth, Love Conquers All!