Concept
Myth of the Androgyne
Spirituality & Myth
Philosophy & EthicsWhat is the myth of the androgyne?
The myth of the androgyne is an allegorical account presented by the comedic playwright Aristophanes in Plato's Symposium to explain the origin of human desire and the search for romantic soulmates. It posits that humans were originally spherical dual-bodied beings who were split in half by Zeus as divine punishment, leaving them yearning to reunite with their missing counterpart.
In short
In Aristophanes' speech in the Symposium, primeval humans possessed four arms, four legs, and two faces. After their hubris threatened Mount Olympus, Zeus bifurcated them, creating an incurable existential yearning for wholeness. This myth remains one of Western culture's foundational metaphors for romantic longing and the quest for completeness.
Key facts
- What does the myth suggest about the origin of love?
- It describes love as the deep, instinctual pursuit of our lost original wholeness and complementary other half.
- Who recounts this myth in Plato's Symposium?
- The comedic playwright Aristophanes, who blends humorous imagery with profound psychological insight.
- How does the Agency editorial discuss the myth of the androgyne?
- Issue 13 summarizes Aristophanes' speech, highlighting Zeus splitting human beings and establishing human longing as a pursuit of completion.
Overview
Aristophanes' speech in Plato's Symposium offers one of literature's most enduring mythological explanations for romantic longing. According to this narrative, ancestral humans were complete and formidable beings of three sexes, including the androgyne uniting male and female. When their arrogance threatened the sovereignty of the gods, Zeus severed each individual in two. From that pivotal catastrophe sprang eros: an unquenchable drive to locate, embrace, and heal the wound of separation through union with one's original half.
In the Agency editorial
In Issue 13, the author reviews Aristophanes' speech during the examination of Plato's Symposium. The narrative recounts how ancient human beings were divided by Zeus as punishment, establishing an eternal quest to reunite with their lost halves. The editorial presents this myth as a poignant account of why desire and nostalgia remain deeply embedded in human psychology.
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Also from these editions: concepts
Related terms
- Androgynenoun
- A mythical primordial being uniting male and female characteristics in a single unified body.
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Sources
- Issue.13 - Aûsub (opens in a new tab), Agency Brasil