Sex, Laugh, Love

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Sex, Laugh, Love
In this short essay I will try to summarize some of the main points, and give a critical analysis on, the speech of the well known comic poet Aristophanes in Plato’s Symposium. First, he tries to explain the humans are totally unacquainted of some of the magical powers of Eros.
Furthermore, he defines Eros as a strong natural force rather than a god. Eros watches over us and guides us to happiness, according to Aristophanes. Second, he gives an account of how humans were three kinds in the past, male, female, and androgynous whose race had both female and male. Humans were round shape, like a ball, had four arms, four legs, two genitals, and two faces on one head. They used all their limbs to rotate around, to move forward and back ward. The male was sourced from the sun, the female of earth, and androgynous from moon.
The humans with their mighty strength and power got to greedy and wanted more. They attached the Olympian gods in a failed attempt. Zeus king of the Gods didn’t terminate the humans, because he and the other gods were in need of their prayers and sacrifices. Instead, to teach them a lesson they cut them in half to become weaker, to not defy the gods again. And Zeus promised to cut them again if they tried to pull another stunt. Apollo put the final touches on them, to remind them of their shameful defiance.
After this modification, humans desired to find their other half to be united with them.
Whenever two halves find each other, they cuddle and don’t want to be separated from one another. However, their reunion became their downfall, because they didn’t want to do anything but stay with each other, they eventually died of hunger or lack of activates. In addition, when one half died, the other tr...

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...he other one? Considering the fact two halves were one what one point, then one dies, and the other is left alone, there is no he can attach himself to. Even if start looking for one, he won’t be compatible with him, and in some way he cannot synchronize with that half. This question can be seen as a weakest point in his speech. Also, his biases toward homosexuality can be seen throughout speech. He applauds the male relationship, not concerning with marriage and reproduction. Aristophanes degrades the role of woman; he only sees them as an adulterous race which, this part I truly dislike.
All in all, the speech is truly entertaining with vivid imagination and love as the ultimate goal of man. The comic poet shows that even in his genre, the most moving things can be said about love. Aristophanes speech is truly the only one that gives Socrates a run for this money.

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