Trapped in an Echo

Incapable of forming words on her own and forced to repeat those of another, Echo suffered the worst punishment the Jealous Goddess could have thought to impose. She is nothing but vapid sound, her discarnate existence elucidated only through the incorporeal repetition of syllables that she hears. 

Echo was a kindhearted, though talkative nymph, who used her gift for storytelling to rescue her sister-nymphs from punishment, through the distraction of the jealous and wrathful queen of the gods. However, due to this furtive deception, Echo faces the wrath of Hera when her surreptitious plan is ascertained. Hera seizes her voice, allowing her tongue the ability to do nothing more than repeat what she hears. Echo can only continue to live through the repetition of hollow, resounding syllables. No matter what is said, she must repeat it to continue existing. Though punishing, Echo refuses to join the ranks of the Punished in the pits of Tartarus, thus, she continues her monotonous task of parroting. 

The pain Echo must have felt upon meeting Narcissus is unimaginable. Falling deeply in love with him, she realizes she has no way of telling him how she feels, as her voice is imprisoned within her and can do no more than mimic. Her heart is trapped within herself, separate from the expression and the understanding of anyone outside. Her voice is screaming within her, but cannot be heard, as it is muffled by a curse. She continues feeling, but can no longer express her feelings, leading her to despair. Her sorrow is so great, it consumes her, and her body wastes away into nothing though her voice lives on. 

Echo is a tragic character because she remains emotive, despite her suppressed expression. And there is something in her that we can all relate to. She is nothing but a reflection of those around her, and she cannot be anything more. And I think within us, there may also be a voice that longs to escape, though is trapped inside us all. We remain feeling and thinking, truly individual in our own thoughts, but only in our thought. It makes the world a lonely place, as our voices resonate in unison to the simple monotony of society, never taking a moment to pause for the idiosyncrasies that we long to share, or allowing another person to see behind the mask we put on our faces, to hide emotion. 

And the story makes sense in the perspective of society as well. At the story's genesis, Echo is free to say what she wishes, her voice revealing her feeling, and allowing her to express herself as she wanted. But this ability is taken away from her in time. As a child, words seem to flow in their natural manner, unhindered by fear of ostracism. But as we grow older, words must flow through a filter, so one of those strange, individual thoughts does not flow out. 

Isn't it strange that the worst punishment Hera, Queen of the Gods, could formulate is dictated as an indissoluble part of society?