Love is in the air, but how often have Cupid and other mystical beings of the same ilk experienced an accidental misfire and missed their mark? And were there ever any intentional mishaps?  Whether it’s a Greek vignette, a Shakespearean play or a low-rated but critically acclaimed CW show, crazy antics due to misunderstandings, poorly aimed arrows and general malice have been recorded through the ages.

Think Twice Before Insulting Cupid: Apollo and Daphne

The tale of Apollo and Daphne shows why Cupid isn’t someone to trifle with, much less openly mock, no matter how mighty your accolades are. Apollo, a powerful god and great warrior, learned this a little too late after insulting Eros (otherwise known as Cupid). The god of love didn’t take too kindly to Apollo’s jests and decided to fire a gold arrow at Apollo, forcing him to fall madly in love with a nymph named Daphne. Eros also shot Daphne with a lead arrow, which caused her to hate the love-struck Apollo with every fiber of her being.

The mighty warrior and former braggart received constant rejection from Daphne. Daphne, desperate to protect her virginity from her stubborn suitor, eventually sacrificed her body and transformed into a tree, virtually ending any chances Apollo had at bedding her.

1999 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Miscommunication and missed-matched lovers in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The comedy in Shakespeare’s plays thrive on poor communication between characters. The root of all the comedy and misunderstandings in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream can be traced to the meddling of Puck, a sprite and servant of Oberon – King of the Fairies.

Due to multiple afternoon naps and a love potion developed by Oberon and Puck, Oberon’s wife Titania falls in love with Nick Bottom, an actor whose head is transformed into a donkey after wandering the forest. Furthermore, Oberon and Puck create additional complications to the Athenian love quadrangle between Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia and Helena.

At the end of the play, Oberon and Puck remove the love charm on Titania and restore order between the Athenians, using the love potion once more to have Lysander rightly in love with Hermia and Demetrius with Helena.

Photo: Nino Muñoz/The CW © 2016 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

There’s Magic in the Air when the Santa Ana “Devil” Winds visit Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Personified as a magical, singing prankster, California’s Santa Ana Winds blow into the town of West Covina to “make things weird” between protagonist Rebecca Bunch and potential love interest Nathaniel  Plimpton III. The cupid-esque Santa Ana Winds spray magical dust while they sleep, giving them both sex dreams of one another and bringing their hidden, mutual attraction to the forefront. These pesky devil winds also entraps the two in a malfunctioning elevator, where they eventually kiss.

Feature image: Photo credit Verbunkos. This photo is from a collection of shots from the photographer’s trip to the Galleria Borghese in Rome, Italy on May 4, 2012.