The Scale Symbol Analysis

The scale that Pluto provides to “weigh” Euripides’s and Aeschylus’s poetry symbolizes the value of poetry, the superiority of old values over new values, and the overall practice of literary criticism. After Euripides and Aeschylus have made a case for their own poetry and critiqued their rival’s poetry, a scale is brought out to “weigh” the poets’ work, literally determining which poetry is “weightier,” or which poet’s ideas are more valuable. In the end, the scale tips in Aeschylus’s favor, proving that Aeschylus’s poetry, which represents traditional values, is superior to Euripides’s poetry, which embodies newer ideas. In presenting poetry’s weight as a literal, measurable thing, the scale also gestures toward poetry’s potential to effect real change—Aeschylus, after all, will return to Athens with Dionysus and, using poetry as a method of instruction, will teach Athenians to respect the traditional values they need if they want to restore Athens to its former glory. 

The scale also illustrates the practice of literary analysis (then called “reading”)—of measuring literature’s “weight” or artistic merits through close reading and considering the technical elements at play in any given work. Though the notion that one can literally “weigh” poetry is played for laughs, the scale underscores the important role that careful analysis plays in one’s appreciation of any work of art. At the same time, though, Dionysus’s ultimate decision to select the poet “[his] soul desires” suggests that while literary analysis can deepen one’s passion for art, the true value of any piece of art ultimately depends on its ability to stir deep emotion.