Reflections on the Symposium: Aristophanes

Aristophanes takes a different approach from Pausianas and Eryximachus.  Rather than describing what it is, he seeks to explain the origin of its power.  More specificially its power to create a certain type of longing in our hearts.  He first talks about how there used to be three species of humans, the male, the female, and the she-male (or hermaphrodite).  Of the three, the she-male was the most glorious, having both genitalias, four arms, four legs, and two heads.  These three races grew in power and splendor and sought to reach the heavens.  The gods, being alarmed, specifically Zeus, decided to stop such progress.  Zeus, in his wisdom, sought to stop them without eradicating them, for their offerings and devotions to the gods were still deemed beneficial.  So he cut them all in half.

The males hopped on one leg searching for their missing male counterpart (gay), the females also hopped on one leg searching for their missing female counterpart (lesbians), and the she-males walked on two, each searching for their male or female counterparts (heterosexuals).  Thus, Zeus was able to keep them busy for the rest of their lives searching for their “missing half.”  Thus was the source of their longing for union or “power of Love.”