Aristophanes
Love, Art, and Beauty in Plato’s The Symposium
Aristophanes offers a different account of love and beauty in his speech which is based on the myth of Aristophanes. According to the myth, humans were once two-faced creatures who had four arms and four legs. However, they were so arrogant that Zeus decided to punish them by splitting them in half so that they would only have two arms and two legs. As a result of this punishment, humans are now constantly searching for their other half so that they can be whole again. Aristophanes goes on to suggest that our desire for love is motivated by our desire to find our other half and that this is why we feel attracted to those who are similar to us. He argues that this is also why we find physical beauty so attractive because it is a reflection of inner beauty. Aristophanes' account of love
MoreBergson on Laughter and Aristophanes' The Frogs
In this essay, I will introduce Bergson's thoughts on laughter, and then analyze how Aristophanes' The Frogs creates absurd and laughable situations. Bergson's analysis of laughter can help us to understand the play better, and to enjoy it more!
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