Plato’s metaphor of the divided line is essentially two worlds; the world of opinion (the physical world or the world of becoming/existence) and the world of knowledge (the world of knowledge or the world of being/essence). This concept is key to the context of The Symposium: Love. It is important to note that as the speeches evolve throughout this particular work theyparallel this concept. Plato has, in this writer’s opinion, reinforced his theory through thespeaker’s by outlining the journey from the world of becoming (Phaedrus’ speech) to the world ofbeing (Diotima’s speech). This being so, Diotima and Socrates (the forms) will be the key focusfor which all previous speakers will ascend each contributing to the absolute. In the opening this writer found it intriguing that Socrates had a habit of “standing stillwherever he happens to be.” This suggested two things; one (in the world of the senses) he had aphysical condition such as seizures and knew when they were about occur and did not wish to beridiculed and two (in the world of intellect) he meditates before speaking to maintain ametaphysical view point. Agathon suggests the latter in conversation with him. Agathon cameacross as immature by suggesting that he could obtain what knowledge/intellect Socrates hadthrough the senses as well. Yet, he has quite a developed speech, thus basically understanding theconcept of the forms although not as apparent beforehand.The first argument was delivered by Phaedrus. He states that “Love is a great God...itinspires courage in which one would die for the other.” Also he references both male and femalelove. This writer viewed his outlook as one of bi-sexuality and his definition was based onphysical love. Which he makes the mistake, in Diotima’s words, by taking’ “one kind of love, andgiving it the name of the whole love.”Pausanias’ speech goes bey...
