I’ve loved Greek mythology ever since I was a little kid. They were like fairy tales; you could learn something from every myth. A favorite of mine was the story of Icarus.
To oversimplify the brilliant tale, it’s about a boy who was imprisoned in a labyrinth for the whole of his life for his father’s wrongdoings. Icarus’ father was a brilliant inventor. Soon he devised a pair of wings secured by wax that will carry them out of their prison.
Before the duo escape, Icarus explains the dangers of the wings. He cannot fly too close to the sun, or his wings will melt. He can’t fly too close to the sea, or he will drown.
Above all, Icarus cannot show off his talent. The Greek Gods were proud beings; they don’t like it when humans imitate them. With freedom in his mind, Icarus agreed.
As the father and the son took flight, Icarus began to grow excited. He never felt the warmth of the sun before, or the rush of the outside world. The story grows murky since there are different versions of the tale.
Some say that Icarus began to fly closer and closer to the sun until the wax began to drip from his wings. Others say that the Gods spotted Icarus happily flying and grew angry. Either way, the tale ends with Icarus falling from the sky and meeting his demise.
One of the morals of the story warns about the youth’s recklessness. Another warns about unchecked ambition.
As I said before, I love the story. I hate the perception of Icarus’ flight.
Oscar Wilde once said, “Never regret thy fall, O Icarus of the fearless flight. // For the greatest tragedy of them all, // Is never to feel the burning light.”
Wilde is basically saying that Icarus shouldn’t mourn the loss of his life or regret his choices. Instead, he should feel sorry for those who never felt the sun’s warmth.
Honestly, I couldn’t agree more. Life’s more than the breaths you take or the number of years that you live. Sometimes there are people in their youth who lived a great deal more than those who are well-aged.
Of course, living ambitiously causes a great deal of pain. We all will receive our fair share of “falls”. Yet, the feeling of basking in the sun and the taste of being victorious in our endeavors will keep us coming for more.
Fall or not.
And honestly there’s no better way to live.
