“Men seemed to have failed completely tocomprehend the power of Eros, for if they did comprehend it, they would have built to him the greatest altars and temples and offered the greatest sacrifices, whereas he is given none of these honors, although he should have them most of all…”
From Aristophanes’ Speech in the Symposium
Could you use any of the myths we read about love to critique or support this quotation? Please react, evaluate, challenge, or contemplate. (Please complete this blog response by Tues. Feb. 16, 2010.)
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i AGREE! THEY should have worshiped Cupid/ Eros . He controlled there love and people took advantage of him and his not being a god but not being a human. Like in all the readings on love they asked for love or longed to be with the one they loved. If they would have built temples to Cupid or Eros then they would have achieved there goals a little better possibly.
The eight brief stories of lovers that we read support this quote because there are so many examples of what true love looks like, and yet not many people seem to understand that. Pyramus and Thisbe were two young lovers that died for each other. This is similar to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and both of these stories show that true love means sacrifice. In Cupid and Psyche, we learn that true love cannot die and the lovers could not be separated.
This quote gives great credit to love and the god of love, Eros. All of these stories support this quote because they are all examples of how strong love was and how it acted upon people in their lives. The stories are tales of love conquering all and love that can never be broken.
True love is a concept that few understand and can comprehend. I dont think that one can define the term true love for it is too strong of an emotion to be expressed by the limits of language. but in many cases, true love deals with sacrifice and putting it all on the line.
They should have worshiped Eros, he brought love to them and they didn't think twice about it. He brought happiness into their life and they could have worshipped him. They did take advantage of the fact that he wasn't god, they thought he didn't have any power. He should have been worshipped more.
As far as the eight tales of lovers that we read, I would say that this quote is wrong. The majority of the men in those stories were very successful in love, and loved their significant others very much. Although many of them had tragic endings, they still successfully had lovers. For example Baucis and Philemon had a very happy life together and grew into a conjoined tree. However, men in this day personify this quote. I know a lot of guys who think they can just use a girl whenever they want to; and sadly most guys I know don't even believe there is love anymore. So i think the ancient men knew how to respect Eros, not so much today's generation though.
In the eight tales of lovers, love is what drives the lovers to do everything that was possible to be with their loved one and the fact is that if Cupid/ Eros wasn't around human kind would had ended because everybody would be at war and the war would only had ended when one person was left standing.
True love cannot easily be defined because its a complex emotion, and can be exemplified in many ways. in the stories that we read love is shown in alot of ways and that their are no limits to it. For example with cupid and psyche true love cannot not be broken and takes alot of sacrifice.
I agree that men have failed to comprehend love, and its power. Nobody really knows what true love is, or even how to express it. I feel the stories of the eight lovers go along with that. Most of the characters had love, and were engrossed in it, that they lost sight of other things, or ruined thier love. Everyone needs to find a balance between love and their life.
After reading the eight stories of love, i agree and disagree with the quote. Some aspects of the story show that true love can not simply die out, and on the other hand it shows that two people can love each other enough to die for them. I think that the people should have respected him more then worshiped him because he gave people the gift of love.
This quotation is so true. People underestimate the power of true love. In all of the stories, true love made seemingly impossible things happen. If they had paid more tribute to Eros, he could have made some of their struggles easier, and he could have helped them to succeed in getting their lover to be with them. All of the stories show the power of love and, because Cupid is the god of Love, he too is very powerful because he controls this force.
I think that mankind can at times just jump to conclusions when it comes to love. They may worship Eros, but what is it that they really learn from love? Thisbe had come to the conclusion that his lovely maiden Pyramus was killed by the lioness. When in reality, she was got out of harms way just in the nick of time. He really did believe in their love, and probably thought that it was Eros's will that they were lovers. That's why they were destined to be together, and the felt the need to meet beyond the wall. Although I do feel his actions were rash it certainly put a tragic twist on the two lovers tale.
I disagree Eros should have had the greatest alters, temples, and sacrifices. Although Cupid aspires many to find love, which may or may not be true depending on if you subscribe to greek mythology, I believe that being able to support your loved ones is more important then self satisfaction. Therefore, I think Demeter should have had the greatest alters, for through her the people you hold dearest can be sustained. But finding love has great value among people. The greek myth of Pygmalion and Galatea show how far people are willing to go in order to allay their thirst for companionship. Cupid is important, but not essencial for life.
They did not worship Cupid because no one can fully comprehend love, that is what makes it so special. Since it is a mystery that is so intoxicating, people may want it but they will never understand. If so then monuments would spring up everywhere dedicated to Cupid. But alas, love is controlled and given in ways that make no sense. This misunderstanding could mean that man does not appreciate the full power of love.
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