Reading Notes: Ovid's Metamorphoses, Part B

Although they happen in sequential order, I noticed some parallels between the stories Echo and Narcissus.  They both meet a sort of unfortunate end, and at first I felt like Narcissus's karma just came sooner rather than later for how he responded to Echo's affection, but I found it interesting how his demise was set up to parallel what happened to Echo.  They both suffered from an unrequited love.  Ironically, both of those loves were Narcissus.  You can sense the set-up for Narcissus's demise even before Echo comes into the picture when the seer states that his fate rests on "if he does not discover himself."  Later on his scorn towards to nymphs catches up to him and he is cursed to love only himself and fail to control what he loves.  From that point on he was destined for a downward spiral because he could look at his reflection in the water but he could never "reach" it.  

Narcissus Caravaggio (1594-96), Source

Ovid's Metamorphoses: Echo, Narcissus, translated by Tony Kline (2000)