The concept of a soul mate comes from one of literature’s most famous tragic couples Romeo and Juliet.

According toDictionary.com, this is when the phrase first came into use.

We can always trust Shakespeare to come up with a keeper!

Couple on a beach

But what exactly does it mean to be star-crossed lovers, and is the term ever misused?

Rather, it applies to couples whose fates are determined by things they can’t control.

Couldn’t Rose have made room for him on the door, though?

Bench from the movie “The Fault in our Stars”

That’s a topic for a different day (viaScreenRant).

Then there are the doomed lovers Buffy and Angel from the TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

In fact,IGNdescribes Buffy and Angel as “the ultimate star-crossed lovers.”

Titanic movie poster

Can the fate of two star-crossed lovers be reversed?