History Main / MistakenDeclarationOfLove

* ''Literature/VitaNuova'': People mistake [[Creator/DanteAlighieri Dante]]'s longing poems for a declaration of love to an attractive woman that the poet doesn't really know that well. He's actually quite happy with the mistake, since it means no one will know who he really is in love with and he can continue with his writing without drawing suspicion.

** In one arc, Ranma and Nabiki become engaged, instead of Ranma and Akane. After Ranma finds out that Nabiki's been playing him this whole time for a profit by saying she loved him, he wants revenge. So, he decides he'll make her feel weirded out by pretending to be in love with her. He invites her on a date, and eventually, Nabiki ends up being chased by Ranma in a maze. Ranma's determined to see it through, so he pulls her through a hedge and screams that he loves her. To his great distress, it turns out to be [[LoveInterest Akane]], not Nabiki, in his arms. Cue major freak out. (This example is possibly inverted in that he wanted to tell the non-love interest, not the love interest, that he loved her.)

* From ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'', Derek gave one to who he thought was Odette, but was actually Rothbart's henchwoman in disguise. Made more painfully that the real Odette, in swan-form, was just outside the window and trying to get his attention from making the mistake.

* ''Manga/LoveHina'': Keitaro wants to finally admit his feelings to Naru and asks her to meet him at the old building near the Hinata Inn, which is said to grant happiness to those that declare their love there. He hears her approaching and embraces the person from behind, admitting that he loves her...! And ends up getting his adopted sister. Who is [[BigBrotherAffection ecstatic]] that he loves her. The next chapters revolve around Keitaro explaining the mistake, and trying to confess to Naru again.

* A deleted scene of ''Film/StarTrek'' depicted Kirk apologizing to an Orion woman about getting her in trouble, only to find that he's talking to a different Orion woman.

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' has a comical example. Phineas asks Isabella if she's ready to take the next step in reference to the day's project. She starts gushing and telling him that she's been waiting for him to ask her all this time until she realizes what it was he was actually talking about. Naturally, she changes the subject by [[RunningGag asking where]] [[EverythingsBetterWithPlatypi Perry is]].

* Creator/PGWodehouse's [[Literature/JeevesAndWooster Bertie Wooster]] made a declaration of love to Madeleine Bassett on behalf of his friend Gussie. She took it as coming from him and forever after would decide to marry Bertie and make him happy whenever her love life went awry.

* ''Movie/DinnerForSchmucks'' has a variation in which the main character (Tim) is very well aware that the girl he's proposing to is not his (at this point ex-) girlfriend Julie, but is forced to pretend she is in order to avoid disrupting TheMasquerade. Both types come into play: the girl is a former one-night-stand of Tim's who is delighted about the proposal, and Julie walks in just in time to see it.

* From ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'', Derek gave one to who he thought was Odette, but was actually Rothbart's henchwoman in disguise. Made more painfully that the real Odette, in swan-form, was just outside the window and trying to get his attention from making the mistake.

* In ''Theatre/SwanLake'' and its ballet adaptation, [[spoiler: Siegfried is tricked into doing this by Rothbart when he disguises his daughter Odile as Odette, his true love. Having thus broken his vow of love to Odette, she no longer has a chance to escape the curse that forces her to live her daylight existence as a swan. Worse, Odette (in swan form) helplessly watches this from outside the castle. In the animated version ''TheSwanPrincess'', this is enough to nearly kill her.]]

* From ''TheSwanPrincess'', Derek gave one to who he thought was Odette, but was actually Rothbart's henchwoman in disguise. Made more painfully that the real Odette, in swan-form, was just outside the window and trying to get his attention from making the mistake.

Usually played for comedy, but occasionally for drama. Compare: LoveLetterLunacy (which is mainly a specific variant caused by problems with the postal service). See also AccidentalMarriage and AccidentalHandHold.

Usually played for comedy, but occasionally for drama. Compare: LoveLetterLunacy (which is mainly a specific variant caused by problems with the postal service), AccidentalMarriage

* In ''SwanLake'' and its ballet adaptation, [[spoiler: Siegfried is tricked into doing this by Rothbart when he disguises his daughter Odile as Odette, his true love. Having thus broken his vow of love to Odette, she no longer has a chance to escape the curse that forces her to live her daylight existence as a swan. Worse, Odette (in swan form) helplessly watches this from outside the castle. In the animated version ''TheSwanPrincess'', this is enough to nearly kill her.]]

* ''SchoolRumble'': This is how [[BelligerentSexualTension Harima and Eri]] start off their relationship, as Harima mistakenly confesses to Eri instead of Tenma. Although Eri hadn't had any feelings for him ''before'' that, his heartfelt confession--in contrast to all the shallow confessions she got from the other boys and easily brushed off--freezes her into embarrassed panic. Harima is likewise frozen in panic when he realizes what happened.
* ''Potemayo'' also has an example, when one of ThoseTwoGuys "practices" confessing to one of the {{Moe Blob}}s only to do so right in front of another girl...
* How Ataru of ''UruseiYatsura'' ended up with Lum. Also a case of AccidentalMarriage.
* And a similar thing happened in ''ToLoveRu'', with someone (usually Lala) getting in Rito's way every time he tries to confess to Haruna.
* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'''s Ryoga ''finally'' worked up the nerve to tell Akane how he felt and why he'd used a [[LovePotion love-inducing artifact]] -- he'd meant it for her, and hit Ranma instead. But his declaration was ''also'' accidentally given to Ranma, who didn't take it well.

->'''Fredrik''': I think I'm in love.
->'''Eva''': Are you?
->'''Fredrik''': Maybe you know who it is?
->'''Eva''': Maybe. ''(blushing)''
->'''Fredrik''': Although I don't think she likes me... it's Lena.
->'''Eva''': What? Lena? ''(jaw drops)''
-->-- ''Film/{{Together}}''

* In ''Film/{{Together}}'', Fredrik and Eva have built a strong bond as BirdsOfAFeather. Then one day Fredrik confesses to Eva that he has fallen in love. She blushes. But then he reveals it's Lena he fell for. Eva is shocked and runs away to cry alone.
-->'''Fredrik''': I think I'm in love.
-->'''Eva''': Are you?
-->'''Fredrik''': Maybe you know who it is?
-->'''Eva''': Maybe. ''(blushing)''
-->'''Fredrik''': Although I don't think she likes me... it's Lena.
-->'''Eva''': What? Lena? ''(jaw drops)''