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. In this instance Socrates ironically introduces a woman into the discussion, Diotima. The long awaited speech by Socrates is in fact one that is taken entirely from a "previous" encounter, 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 into account. .
Composed of the ideas and thoughts of the other speeches, Diotima's speech is the epitome of eros. The excerpt (206A-206E) taken from Diotima's speech highlights the main ideas of the speech. "Posses the good forever" and "Giving birth in beauty" are two of the major topics mentioned and expanded upon in this passage (52 & 53). Here Diotima discusses the concept of being pregnant in both body and soul. This notion of pregnancy is said to be only possible "in beauty" which is godly (53). Pregnancy of the body, between a man and a woman, is considered to be trivial as compared to the soulful pregnancy in a homosexual relationship, which extracts wisdom, virtue and ideas. .
In the passage Diotima refers to beauty as a necessity of giving birth and reproducing. "Love is wanting to posses the good forever," in this line quoted from the passage; Diotima begins to describe eros in the form of pregnancy and beauty. In order to "posses the good forever" in love a person must reproduce in beauty whether it be a due to a pregnancy of the body or soul. Before this excerpt it was declared in Diotima's .
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speech that love is partially beautiful-"he is a schemer after the beautiful and good" (203D).
