... over the convictions of his audience" (Russo 1). After some speculation it is then brought up that the speeches made by the orator are merely speeches about speeches. But not all speeches, because the speeches that discuss only the subject matter of another art belong to that other art and not to the art ... If oratory is truly about the "greatest and best human affairs it would have to be considered a kind of theoretic art that produces, through speeches, the most positive change in the soul of the audience" (Kissel 1). What kind of change in the soul does oratory cause then? Gorgias ....

• Word Count: 2063
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Plato's "Symposium," the very influential speech by Diotima describes an ascent from loving particular kinds of beauty to loving Beauty itself. Diotima proves to be incredibly intelligent in the points she makes through her description of this ascent. Ultimately, it can be deduced that by being a lover of knowledge, one can in turn be a lover and seer of true Beauty. Throughout the Symposium ... to give up for that blessing, Diotima asks. The ascent Diotima describes goes against many of the previous points made in the speeches before by the other philosophers. A speech in particular bei...

• Word Count: 1088
• Approx Pages: 4

... . There has yet to be a one universal explanation of love and there has yet to be one who understands it's powers fully. As we see from Plato's Symposium, even the wisest of men in a time when the search for knowledge was seen as the pathway to enlightenment love was still a concept that was not understood ... purpose of this essay, it would seem relevant to stick with the guidelines and ideals that were presented in the speeches given by the men. It seemed as though in each of the lectures given, Plato put a message into each one. Each man brought up valid guidelines for dealing with lo...

• Word Count: 2004
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... meaning, something deeper than the author's main point, or something that can be found in a summary. In reading Horace's Satires and Epistles and Plato The Symposium, a very ironic discovery can be made. Socrates and Horace have apparently been granted authority by their immediate audience on their respective topics, however they ... live a satisfying life and can administer advice on it; he too struggles against his damning nature. Plato's Symposium is a collection of speeches, made by a group of social degenerates about love. The first few speeches were fairly vague and uninteresting. E...

• Word Count: 1606
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... the group. The ideas these men put forward in describing the nature of something as powerful yet intangible as love are wonderful. The people in Plato's Symposium are truly great and wise men. They each have their particular viewpoints, based on their characters and professions. The physician and healer, Eryximachus, ... such great minds, it stands to reason that the thoughts they have should be somewhat similar, especially since they are friends. But their speeches are completely different from one another, which makes it had to see which of them is actually true. To many people, rulin...

• Word Count: 1657
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

1 Eros, or love, is the topic for discussion in Plato's Symposium. In a series of speeches, men debate the superlative meaning of eros the entire night. Socrates concludes the night by giving what is thought to be the last speech. ... with a woman (Diotima), in which Diotima, not Socrates, gives meaning to the word and concept of eros. This is ironic because from the beginning of the Symposium it is made explicitly clear that women are not wise enough to know and discuss eros. This is the first speech that the opinion of a woman is taken ... it "fills us with togetherness and drains all of ...

• Word Count: 925
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

In Plato's Symposium there are three major speeches given by Aristophanes, Socrates and Alcibiades, where each portrays a different aspect of human sexuality and love. Aristophanes" speech is a fantastic representation of humans that were separated into two halves engaged ... heaven to attack the gods, really refers to them (190b). This attack on the gods is what eventually led to the condition that humans have constantly been in since, as Plato tells us; The gods didn't see how they could kill them, wiping out the human race with thunderbolts as they"d done with the giants; if they did that...

• Word Count: 608
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... demands. These demands would include lobbying for equal rights, presenting briefs to political parties, seeking support from non-gay community groups, documenting cases of discrimination, forms of public action or speeches, and the development of education policy in schools. These seem to be the same rights that are allowed to all Americans. Why then should it be seen as an "agenda ... from the injuries caused by discrimination, and it forbids reinstatement of these laws and policies. (Strasser) Sexual orientation is not a new concept. Plato alluded to the acceptance of homosexuality wh...

• Word Count: 3001
• Approx Pages: 12

... woman were not permitted to attend.3 Aspasia became the most famous and influential of the hetaerae. Her legacy became anything but silent and she appears in multiple historical works by Plato, Xenophon, Cicero, Athenaeus, and Plutarch.4 It is clear she had an immense impact on her male counterparts, perhaps the most over her live-in lover Pericles. However, she became the ... all the visitors to Aspasia's school, Socrates was the most famous. Based on the evidence it is clear that he admired Aspasia for her intellect. Xenophon cites Socrates in the Symposium as saying, "that the female...

• Word Count: 2630
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography

... woman were not permitted to attend.3 Aspasia became the most famous and influential of the hetaerae. Her legacy became anything but silent and she appears in multiple historical works by Plato, Xenophon, Cicero, Athenaeus, and Plutarch.4 It is clear she had an immense impact on her male counterparts, perhaps the most over her live-in lover Pericles. However, she became the ... all the visitors to Aspasia's school, Socrates was the most famous. Based on the evidence it is clear that he admired Aspasia for her intellect. Xenophon cites Socrates in the Symposium as saying, "that the female...

• Word Count: 2630
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography

Throughout history Love has been a topic of conversation. Plato's Symposium provides us with many different views and theories about Love. Socrates and his intellectual partners discuss what Love is and twist it's meaning in every possible way. One of the memorable speeches is the Speech of Aristophanes. After describing history of Love, he proposes that each person is half of a complete love relationship, a whole ... ...

• Word Count: 367
• Approx Pages: 1