Phaedrus describes how lovers refuse to be cowardly in front of the person they love. He even goes as far to say that lovers are the only people that will die for their significant other. Similarly, the song “Grenade” by Bruno Mars outlines the many ways that the singer would die for a girl because of how much he loves her. Both Plato’s ancient text and this modern song characterize love as powerful source that consumes people and leads them to do extreme things to protect the people they love or demonstrate their love. Phaedrus says love can “make him as brave as if he’d been born a hero”, as if love has a grip on man that allows him to be brave for his lover.
However, the modern song is written from the perspective of a man who will go to great lengths for a woman, but the woman will not do the same. Though the love in unrequited, Bruno Mars will still die for the person he loves. Phaedrus makes a point to included that a woman, if she is a true lover, will die for the man she is in love with and the man who loves her. Although both the song and the speech refer to lovers dying out of love, one believes that people will die for the person they love and the other believes that people will die for the person they love while knowing that person loves them back.
Plato’s Symposium, The Speech of Phaedrus
179A-179C pp. 10
For a man in love would never allow his loved one, of all people, to see him leaving ranks or dropping weapons. He’d rather die a thousand deaths! And as for leaving the boy behind, or not coming to his aid in danger—why, no one is so base that true Love could not inspire him with courage, and make him as brave as if he’d been born a hero. When Homer says a god ‘breathes might’ into some of the heroes, this is really Love’s gift to every lover.
Besides, no one will die for you but a lover, and a lover will do this even if she’s a woman.