Forbidden lovers is a common trope in romantic novels, plays, and films that entails two would-be lovers who are drawn to each other but forbidden to be together. The most famous pair of forbidden lovers is Romeo and Juliet, the eponymous couple from William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet, who cannot be together because of a long-standing familial feud. They are star-crossed lovers, meaning that their stars are fated to cross in the sky and travel in different directions, rather than in the same direction as one. This phrase captures Romeo and Juliet’s predestined fate to only find brief happiness and then be separated by death.

As in the case of Romeo and Juliet, the trope of forbidden, star-crossed lovers entails two individuals who are clearly in love and compatible but kept apart by circumstances beyond either of their control. This plot device creates tension and interest, stirring the audience who hopes that the lovers overcome the obstacles in their way. Furthermore, this trope forces the audience to confront questions of loyalty and obedience; they are positioned to consider whether the characters should prioritize love or obedience to societal standards.