The Function of Desire in Relationships Between a Man and...

The structure and function of different types of sexual relationships were an important part of Athenian culture, and many rules and traditions formed around these relationships based on the mores of society. The male citizens were considered the most important segment of the population, and many Greek writers address the cultural conventions, ideals, and beliefs that formed around these relationships. The three main types of sexual relationships that involved a male citizen are marriage, the relationship between a young man and an older mentor, and sexual encounters with prostitutes. Plato’s Symposium, a dialog on the nature of love and desire, describes many of the beliefs that Athenians held, especially about the relationship between†¦show more content†¦According Pausanius, one of the speakers in the Symposium, the highest form of love was the kind that formed between two men. While relationships with a woman or a youth could be characterized by the carnal love of common Aphrodite, only the relationships between males- either two men of the same age or between a man and a youth- could contain the intellectual and emotional love of celestial Aphrodite. Now, the love who accompanies Common Aphrodite is certainly common, and his effects are totally random; this is the Love which ordinary people experience. In the first place, they love women as well as boys; secondly, when they do fall in love they’re attracted to the bodies rather than the minds of the people they love; thirdly, the reason they’re attracted to the most unintelligent people imaginable is that all they’re after is the satisfaction of their desires and they don’t care whether or not their desires are properly satisfied†¦ On the other hand, the Love which accompanies Celestial Aphrodite is wholly male, with no trace of femininity. (This, then, is the Love which is for boys, and a second point to note is that the provenance of this Love is the goddess who is older and incapable of treating people brutally.) That is why this Love’ inspiration makes people feel affection for what is inherently stronger and moreShow MoreRelatedEssay On Masculinity972 Words   |  4 Pagesself-esteem. While answering the question â€Å"how does violence relate to masculinity?† it is important that we examine the pressures of both societal and cultural norms. To do so, we must look at possible influences such as media, as well as explore the link between violent behavior and possible threats towards one’s masculinity. In a study done by Dennis Reidy, it was found that committing violent crimes was at a higher rate in men who â€Å"consider themselves less than truly masculine or anxious as a result o fRead More Sex and Relationships Essay1497 Words   |  6 PagesWorld and 1984 incorporate the themes of sex and relationships. 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Key words:Read MoreThe Thematic Apperception Test ( Tat )1322 Words   |  6 Pagestheir external expression, and inflated self-esteem. The results concluded that adolescent sexual offender is characterized as a unique individual, a result of a stunted developmental process. Some sex offenders have deviant fantasies and the strong desire to act on them. There have been instances where some sexual fantasies were actually carried out. Male and female juvenile sex offenders often exhibit behavior that is sexually abusive at a young age; some of their unfortunate and innocent victimsRead More Essay on Stagnant Lives in Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie1196 Words   |  5 PagesStagnant Lives in Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Stagnant Lives of Blanche DuBois and Amanda Wingfield  Ã‚  Ã‚   All of Williams significant characters are pathetic victims--of time, of their own passions, of immutable circumstance (Gantz 110). 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