Love Is Passion, Bravery, And Bliss

Love Is Passion, Bravery, And Bliss

Love is passion, bravery, and bliss. Love is blindness, slavery, and psychosis. Love has caused some of my fondest memories, whether it be the times simply speaking my truest thoughts to my mother or lying in bed with a partner saying nothing yet still being able to communicate my most sincere self in silence. Yet love has also compelled me to do, in my opinion, my most heinous acts, whether that be lying to my family about my religious beliefs in order to save them pain or giving in to lust so much that my own sexual desires meant more than my partner's emotional needs. While anyone may sit and theorize what the true meaning or purpose of love is, conceptually love is a confusing concept that proves to be challenging for even Socrates to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...In his drunken stupor Alcibiades is flustered over the presence of Socrates, who he deeply, erotically loves, and although taken aback agrees to give his own account of eros. However, while all the other encomia have been praising love from a place of logic and sobriety, Alcibiades bases his account off of passion and drunkenness, even prefacing with, "at worst, there will be mistakes in my speech, not lies"(214e). Now the master of ceremonies, Alcibiades begins his speech in praise of Socrates and compares him to mythical figures who could come close to the gods and reveal some truths through their art. Alcibiades continues with a confession of his love for Socrates. However, this is not the ideal, Apollonian form of love that Socrates speaks of. This is a fiery, Dionysian love that causes Alcibiades to feel deep passion and fervor. Throughout his account, Alcibiades goes back and forth from praising Socrates to spurning him, from speaking respectfully to speaking disdainfully, from loving him to hating him. At times, Alcibiades' erotic passion gives him great insight into the higher forms of love mentioned earlier, allowing him to free himself momentarily from the confines of humanity. Other times, Alcibiades' love cause him to feel restrained and helpless, so much so that he proclaims, "ah, no one else has ever known the real meaning of slavery!"(219e).

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