Study Questions for Plato's Symposium

• Look up "symposium" in a good dictionary.  What does it mean?  What is the etymology of the word?
• Identify the major speakers and summarize their individual speeches.
• What kind of character is Socrates?  Are the views expressed in the dialogue those of Socrates or Plato?
• What does Socrates say about love?  What other definitions of love are offered?
• Who is Diotima?  How does she define love?
• What is the relationship between beauty and love?
• What is the nature of the relationship between Socrates and Alcibiades?