What is our toil but to love and be loved by? The Myth of Sisyphus "The gods had thought that there was no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor." -La Dispute It is during the point of reaction that we are conscious. The opposite end of our action, when the rock rolls back down. For that moment in which to retrieve it, is only to reengage in condemnation and futile suffering. Here Sisyphus has consciousness. Now, tragedy arises in the conscious relapse. At some point during the condemnation to an infinite, futile labor, the realization of trivialness occurs at the point of the opposite effect of the goal, thus creating infinaty. Sisyphus' rock and the juxtaposition of his goal, the top of the hill, lead us to see that point in which we are not in labor, that is a time which the yoke-laden pressure is lifted, but the understanding of the tragedy arises in the mind. "There is no fate that can be surmounted by scorn. If the decent is sometimes performed in sorrow, it Can also take place in joy." -La Dispute To discover the tragedy it can only truly be performed consciously during, or knowledge enlightened after performing ones fate. Hence Sisyphus' realization of his tragedy after he has reached the summit and the rock has rolled to the bottom again. This true realization cannot be premeditated. We can have no real understanding of the purpose of our toil before the time of fate and the realization of the particular tragedy. So what redemption do we have from this toil? If the toil is so bad, if the worst of all possible situations is fruitless labor, what is the point? Why? Love is a futile and hopeless labor. This is the only description that is true of love to the core, however it is not a bad thing. Endless toil for love is not a bad thing. Aristotle once claimed that, "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies" To the gods futile labor is the most dreadful, but I am not a god, I am Man and I am one. Through love we become two, and two is greater than one and we can accomplish all things. We may be condemned, as man, to Sisyphus' torture but as long as reaching the top and the pursuit is of love, then we sit with no tragedy at all. Yes, when the rock rolls back down we have to start over again, but in returning to work we take joy, because we work towards love. "the love we generate for beauty on this earth can never truly be satisfied until we die" -Philosophy of Love
Plato goes on to peruse that, "He who loves the beautiful is called a lover because he takes part of it."