Symposium

Examine Plato’s rhetorical technique. What is the significance of his nested and interrupted dialogues? Draw on at least three specific examples in your discussion.

According to Aristophanes, “Love draws our original nature back together; he tries to reintegrate us and heal the split in our nature” (26). Discuss how Aristophanes’s conception prefigures Diotima’s. In what ways is Diotima’s approach different, and how does it impact the reader’s understanding of the nature of Love?

Discuss the symbolism of wine and the role of Dionysus in the Symposium. How are wine and Dionysus related to Love (Eros), desire, and wisdom?