The Spectacles | Edgar Allan Poe Stories

In The Spectacles, Edgar Allan Poe spins a farcical tale of romantic folly in which a vain young man, refusing to wear glasses despite poor eyesight, falls instantly in love with a beautiful widow glimpsed at the opera. Determined to win her without delay, he pursues her with passionate letters and an impetuous proposal, only to discover—after their supposed wedding—that she is in fact his own great-great-grandmother in elaborate disguise. The ruse, concocted to punish his vanity and hastiness, ends with a surprising twist: the marriage was a sham, and he is instead paired with her young, lovely relative—alongside a lasting lesson in humility and the necessity of spectacles.