The Nature of Love Explored in Plato’s Symposium Essay -- Plato Sympos

The Nature of Love Explored in Platos Symposium In unspotted Greek literature the subject of love is commonly a prominent theme. However, throughout these varied texts the subject of Love becomes a multi-faceted being. From this common occurrence in literature we can assume that this subject had a large impact on day-to-day life. One text that explores the many faces of love in nonchalant life is Platos Symposium. In this text we hear a number of views on the subject of love and what the true nature of love is. This essay will focus on a speech by Pausanius. Pausaniuss speech concentrates on the goddess Aphrodite. In particular he looks at her two masterminds, as a promoter of Celestial Love as well as Common Love. This idea of Common Love can be seen in a historical life context in the tragedy Hippolytus by Euripides. This brings the philosophical views made by Pausanius into a real-life context. The speech by Pausanius in Platos Symposium divide s the goddess Aphrodite into two beings, for each one responsible for a different aspect of love. To prove the existence of her double life he cites her creation. There are two versions of the birth of Aphrodite, one sexual climax from Hesiods work, Theogony, where she is borne out of Uranus castrated genitals as they splash into the sea the other is from Homers work, the Illiad, where she is said to be the daughter of Zeus and Dione. (Notes on Platos Symposium 180e) From these two vastly different creations she takes on two vastly different forms. Pausanius describes one of her forms as Celestial love. This type of love springs out of the Aphrodite created from Uranus genitals. This form is wholly male (Symposium 180c) which inspires men to be a... ... love described by Pausanias as Common love. Throughout the play love is used by Euripides as a key plot factor and in many ways sets the outcome of the play. This love was definitely based on a physical friends hip between a male and a female, thus making it Common love. The fact that Euripides uses Common love lends credibility to Pausanias philosophical ideas. The appearance of this idea suggests that it had earthy roots. . The events that took place in the play, such as the relationship between Phaedra and Hippolytus, must have been realistic so a Greek audience would believe the story. scour though Hippolytus is a fictional play the events that take place must have their roots in realistic events. This allows us to believe that Pausanias philosophical saint was in fact a real life issue that Athenians dealt with in day-to-day life.