ESTOQUE,

ALEAHMAEB.

BPED-
1A

Act
ivi
ty3.
6:Quest
ionsf
orDi
scussi
onandWr
it
ing

1.Echocl
aimst
olov
eNar
cissus.Whatdoy
out
hinkcausesEcho‘
slov
e?I
Sitt
her
eal
thi
ng?
Whyorwhynot?

Oner easoncoul
dbet hatEchowasattr
actedtoNar
cissus'
sphy si
calappear
anceandchari
sma.
Inthemy th,
Narci
ssuswasdescribedasahandsomeandal luringyoungman, whi
chcouldhav
e
capturedEcho'
sattent
ionandsparkedherfeel
i
ngsofattr
action.

Anotherreasoncoul
dbethatEchowasdr awntoNarci
ssus'sper
sonali
tyt
rai
ts,suchashi
s
confi
denceandself-
assur
edness.Despi
tehisf
laws,
Narcissuswasknownf orhisstr
ongsense
ofself
,andt hi
scoul
dhavebeenappeali
ngtoEcho,whomi ghthavebeenseeki
ngasenseof
stabi
li
tyandsecuri
tyi
napartner
.

Howev er,i
tisalsopossi bl
ethatEcho'
sloveforNarci
ssuswasnotent i
rel
ygenuineorheal thy
.In
themy th,Echowascur sedbythegoddessHerat oonl
yrepeatt
hewor dsofothers,whichcoul d
i
ndicateal ackofagencyandaut onomyi nherownactionsandfeel
ings.Addit
ional
l
y,her
obsessionwi t
hNar cissus,whowasknownf orhisexcessi
vesel
f-l
oveanddi sr
egardforot her
s,
couldsuggestt hatherl ovewasmor eaboutfulf
il
li
ngherowndesiresandneedsr at
hert han
trul
ycaringforNar cissusasaper son.

Overal
l
,itisdiff
iculttosaydefini
ti
vel
ywhetherEcho'
sloveforNar ci
ssuswasr ealornot,
asthis
i
sasubj ecti
veandcompl exmatt
erthati
sopentoint
erpretat
ion.Howev er
,themy thprovi
des
somepossi bl
einsight sintot
hereasonswhyEchomi ghthavefeltdrawntoNar ci
ssus,aswell
asthepotentialli
mi t
ationsanddangersofsuchalov
e.

2.Whydoy outhinkEchocont
inuest
olov
eNar
cissusi
nspi
teofbei
ngr
eject
ed?Doy
ouf
eel
her
act
ionsar
ej ust
if
ied?Whyorwhynot?

Echo'sconti
nuedloveforNarci
ssusdespitehi
sreject
ioncanbeseenasafor
m ofunrequi
ted
l
ov eorinf
atuat
ion.Shemayhav eideal
izedNarci
ssusandproject
edherowndesi
resontohim,
eventhoughhewasnoti nter
estedinher.Thi
scanbeacommonpat ter
ninl
ove,whereone
person'
sfeeli
ngsarenotreci
procatedbytheother
.

Howev er,i
t'
simport
anttonotethatGr
eekmy t
hologyoft
enport
ray
scomplexandfl
awed
character
s,andtheacti
onsofthesecharacter
sarenotalwaysmeantt
obetakenasmor al
guidance.Echo'
sstorycanser
veasacaut ionar
yt al
eaboutt
hedanger
sofunrequi
tedl
oveand
theimportanceofsel
f-l
oveandacceptance.

3.Whatdoest
hest
oryofEchoandNar
cissussuggestaboutt
her
oleofl
ovei
nanci
entcul
tur
e?
Howi
sourmoder
nunder
standi
ngofl
ovesi
mil
arand/di
ff
erent
?

TheancientGreekmy t
hofEchoandNar cissussuggeststhatloveinanci
entcul
tur
ewasoften
seenasasour ceofsufferi
ngandobsession.Accordingtothemy t
h,Echowasany mphwhofell
i
nlov ewit
hNar ci
ssus,abeauti
ful
y oungman.Howev er
,Narcissuswassoconsumedbyhi s
ownbeaut ythatherej
ectedEcho'
sl oveandwasul t
imatel
ydoomedt ofall
inlov
ewithhi
sown
ref
lecti
on,l
eadingtohisowndemi se.

I
nanci
entGreekcult
ure,l
ovewasof t
enseenasapowerfulf
orcethatcoul
dleadtobot
hgreat
j
oyandgreatsor
row.Lovewasof t
enport
rayedasanuncontr
oll
ablefor
cethatcoul
dcause
i
ndi
vi
dual
st oacti
rr
ational
lyandevenhar
mt hemsel
vesorother
s.

Inmoder ntimes,ourunderst
andingofloveissi
milari
nthesensethatiti
sstill
seenasa
powerfulandcompl exemoti
onthatcanleadtobothhappinessandpain.Howev er,ourmodern
understandingoflov ei
soft
enmor efocusedontheideaofmut ual
respect,
trust,and
compani onshipbetweentwoindivi
duals,
rat
herthantheideaofalovethati
sal l
-consumingand
potenti
all
ydanger ous.

Overall
,thestor
yofEchoandNar cissussuggeststhatt
heroleoflovei
nancientcul
tur
ewas
oftenfr
aughtwithdangerandsufferi
ng,whileourmodernunderstandi
ngofl
ov eismore
focusedont heideaofaheal
thyandbal ancedrel
ati
onshipbetweentwoindi
vidual
s.

4.Hav
eyouev
erf
eltt
hesamewayt
hatEchodoes?Ort
hesamewayt
hatNar
cissusdoes?I
fso,

howdi
dyouact
?Howwoul
dyouacti
fyoucoul
dgobackanddoi
tagai
n?

IfIweretohypothetical
l
yimaginehowIwoul dactinEcho'sorNar ci
ssus'sit
uati
ons,Iwoul
dsay
thatifIwer
eEcho, Iwouldtrytomov eonandf i
ndhappinesselsewhereinsteadofpini
ngover
someonewhodoesnotr ecipr
ocatemyf eeli
ngs.IfIwer
eNar cissus,Iwouldtryt
obemor e
humbl eandrecognizethevalueinothersinst
eadofbecomi ngobsessedwi t
hmy sel
f.I
nboth
cases,Ibel
ieveit
'simportanttopract
iceself-
careandself-
lovewhi l
ealsorespect
ingthe
feel
ingsandwor t
hofot hers.