This paper examines Aristophanes' speech in Plato's Symposium, evaluating the myth he presents about the nature of love. It considers whether the myth is useful, misleading, or insightful, exploring Aristophanes' claims that love is the pursuit of wholeness and that all forms of love — including same-sex love — are natural. The paper argues that while parts of the speech are comically exaggerated, its core message about human desire for completeness and its acceptance of diverse loves remains profound and relevant. The analysis concludes that Aristophanes demonstrated a deeper understanding of love's complexity than much of modern society reflects.
This paper examines the speech of Aristophanes in Plato's Symposium, evaluating the myth it presents and addressing several key questions: Is this view of love agreeable or disagreeable? Is it useful? Is it misleading? Aristophanes' myth is meant to be funny, but it also makes the reader stop and think about the roles we assign to one another as humans and as lovers. Myth is, by nature, something constructed to educate or amuse, and this myth accomplishes both in its own way. Love is one of the strongest of human emotions, and 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 conventional one, yet it has its own merit. Love does not have to be between a man and a woman. There is perhaps no deeper or more abiding love than that of a parent and child, and this bond is not based solely on sex or gender — it is based on the love one has for family and for the product of a loving relationship. Thus, the product of a relationship such as Aristophanes describes 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 serve as an anthem to love and to humanity's capacity to love.
This definition of love is quite useful because it reflects an understanding and acceptance that seems to have largely disappeared in much of modern society. Aristophanes finds nothing wrong with homosexual love; in fact, he regards it as entirely natural. He says, "In every way, then, this sort of man grows up as a lover 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 ancient Greek society appeared largely unaffected — even strengthened — by its acceptance of alternative forms of love. Grecian society did eventually crumble, but not because of its acceptance of diverse expressions of love.
"Balancing humor and serious philosophical insight"
Aristophanes' myth is not misleading; in fact, it is quite profound in its understanding of human nature and the complexity of love. There is no single definition of love, just as there is no single definition of man or woman. Each individual is unique and possesses an equally unique capacity to love another. Whether man or woman, the particular gender matters less than the ability to love and to give of oneself freely. Aristophanes seems to have been far more understanding about the complexities of love than many people are today. For that reason, his myth endures and remains compelling to readers across time.
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