Here are a few specific elements from the myth:

1. The Portal: Here souls are all on common ground. They have had past experiences in different places, but now they will embark on the journey to choose their next life. In this journey, each soul has equal opportunity. The portal is also where all the souls can discuss what they have experienced.
-Think--> students all coming from different places and different experiences - some good, some bad - to now talk about what they have learned.

2. The Roaring Door from Hell to the Portal: The souls coming from Hell fear that the opening will roar and send them back to suffering. They pray that they have paid their debts, that their wrongs have been righted through their own suffering. But some are not ready, some have not suffered enough. This brings up the question of revenge. Is it right that someone should suffer if they have caused suffering? And how much should they suffer - the same as they caused or more?
-Question --> In choosing the virtuous life, should we do so in order to escape the horrible fate that would follow and unjust life? Or should the decision come merely an understanding that the virtuous life is the ultimate life? Would a teenager, say, make "the right choice" to escape punishment? Or would he/she do so because it is the just path?

3. The Spindle of Necessity and the Fates: This is the place in which the souls choose their next life. It is the most important location of the journey and it also happens to be a mingling of the past, present and future.Lachesis, past, keeps the motions of Clotho and Atropos continuous. This suggests that the past ultimately reigns over the present and the future. The souls' past lives and experiences help them choose the future, and the thread that ties the three branches together cannot be undone.
-The Point --> Our pasts can never be erased completely, but at the same time, our present does not have to dictate our future. There is always a choice to be made and a past to help us make it.

4. The Plain of Forgetfulness: This is where the souls' memories are emptied, from where they travel to be reborn. It is barren and somewhat depressing. They must be clear and free from memory of their past, both distant and immediate, so that they can enter into the new life they have chosen without reservations or regret. But at the same time, this is not a particularly happy place. It is hot and unpleasant. What does this suggest? That discomfort must immediately precede rebirth? Or simply that humanity must be wiped away to make room for new humanity?
-Importance --> We are allowed all of our memories, feelings, and contemplations during the decision-making, as we determine what is the virtuous life. But once we have made our choice, we must stick to it, and to do this we must let our minds be emptied and allow ourselves to be carried to this decision by an external source. So ultimately, the decision is ours to make, but, perhaps, our peers' and mentors' to make sure we carry out. Everyone must look out for everyone else, and in turn, let themselves we looked out for.

Back to Antonia's Summary and Interpretation

Back to the Myth of Er