Speech of Aristophanes in the Symposium

¶ … speech of Aristophanes in the Symposium. Specifically, it will evaluate Aristophanes' myth and answer the questions, do you agree with the view of love that it presents? Disagree? Do you consider it useful? Do you consider it misleading? Why? Aristophanes' Myth is meant to be funny, but it also makes the reader stop and think about the roles we assign to each other as humans, and as lovers. Myth is just that, something made up to educate or amuse, and this myth does both in its own way. Love is one of the strongest emotions, and so, it brings out strong reactions, just as this speech does.

The view of love that Aristophanes presents in his speech is certainly not the most accepted view of love, yet it has its own merit. Love does not have to be between a man and a woman. There is perhaps no more deep and abiding love than that of a parent and child, and this is not based solely on sex or gender, it is based on the love one has for family, and the product of a loving relationship. Thus, the product of a relationship such as Aristophanes discusses should also have a loving nature and yearn for another loving relationship. This is how we recreate our own needs and wants in our children, and this is how love is perpetuated. Aristophanes said that love "tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature" ("Speech" 27). These words could be an anthem to love, and man's ability to love.

This definition of love is quite useful, because it shows an understanding and acceptance that seems to have disappeared in much of modern society. Aristophanes does not find anything wrong with homosexual love, in fact, he finds it quite natural. He says, "In every way, then, this sort of man grows up as a love of young men and a lover of Love, always rejoicing in his own kind" ("Speech" 28). Clearly, not all societies have succumbed to the homophobia of modern times, and it seems that they were unaffected by their acceptance. Grecian society did crumble, but not because of their acceptance of alternative forms of love. Aristophanes also thinks that the most anyone could ever want would be to be joined to another to form one "whole" unit. He ways, "Love' is the name for our pursuit of wholeness, for our desire to be complete" ("Speech" 29). This is true even today. We still search for our "soul mate," the one true love that will make us whole. It sounds like a fairy tale, and yet, people still embark on this hopeful search every day. Love is still one of the most compelling things in our lives, and we look forward to it, and search for it throughout our live, and if we do not find it, we remain unfulfilled and empty in some way. Aristophanes clearly understood the importance and the intricacies of love, and his speech is a celebration of love, and of finding love to make us complete and fully alive.

This speech is clearly meant to amuse the audience, and there are some ideas expressed that seem far fetched, such as all politicians come from the class of men who love men, and the description of the round, two-headed human beast that split to become the humans we know today. These parts of the speech are classic myth, and they are meant to amuse while drawing in the audience. However, the meat of the speech that talks about love and its implications is deadly serious, and truly makes the reader think about the subject. Aristophanes views might not be especially popular today, but they are insightful, intelligent, and thought provoking.