What's the moral of the myth of Narcissus and Echo?

The myth is that Echo fall in love with the youth Narrcissus. But he was so hung up on himself to notice. She pined away till the only thing left was her voice that would repeat every Narcissus said. It means do not get so hung up on your self yoy cannot see whTS IN FRONT OF YOU.

What's the moral of the myth of Narcissus and Echo?
Echo and Narcissus





Echo was a beautiful nymph, fond of the woods and hills, where


she devoted herself to woodland sports. She was a favorite of


Diana, and attended her in the chase. But Echo had one failing;


she was fond of talking, and whether in chat or argument would


have the last word. One day Juno was seeking her husband, who,


she had reason to fear, was amusing himself among the nymphs.


Echo by her talk contrived to detain the goddess till the nymphs


made their escape. When Juno discovered it, she passed sentence


upon Echo in these words: "You shall forfeit the use of that


tongue with which you have cheated me, except for that one


purpose you are so fond of REPLY. You shall still have the


last word, but no power to speak first."





This nymph saw Narcissus, a beautiful youth, as he pursued the


chase upon the mountains. She loved him, and followed his


footsteps. Oh, how she longed to address him in the softest


accents, and win him to converse, but it was not in her power.


She waited with impatience for him to speak first, and had her


answer ready. One day the youth, being separated from his


companions, shouted aloud, "Who's here?" Echo replied, "Here."


Narcissus looked around, but seeing no one, called out, "Come."


Echo answered, "Come." As no one came, Narcissus called again,


"Why do you shun me?" Echo asked the same question. "Let us


join one another," said the youth. The maid answered with all


her heart in the same words, and hastened to the spot, ready to


throw her arms about his neck. He started back, exclaiming,


"Hands off! I would rather die than you should have me." "Have


me," said she; but it was all in vain. He left her, and she went


to hide her blushes in the recesses of the woods. From that time


forth she lived in caves and among mountain cliffs. Her form


faded with grief, till at last all her flesh shrank away. Her


bones were changed into rocks, and there was nothing left of her


but her voice. With that she is still ready to reply to any one


who calls her, and keeps up her old habit of having the last


word.





Narcissus was cruel not in this case alone. He shunned all the


rest of the nymphs as he had done poor Echo. One day a maiden,


who had in vain endeavored to attract him, uttered a prayer that


he might some time or other feel what it was to love and meet no


return of affection. The avenging goddess heard and granted the


prayer.





There was a clear fountain, with water like silver, to which the


shepherds never drove their flocks. Nor did the mountain goats


resort to it, nor any of the beasts of the forest; neither was it


defaced with fallen leaves or branches; but the grass grew fresh


around it, and the rocks sheltered it from the sun. Hither came


one day the youth fatigued with hunting, heated and thirsty. He


stooped down to drink, and saw his own image in the water; he


thought it was some beautiful water=spirit living in the


fountain. He stood gazing with admiration at those bright eyes,


those locks curled like the locks of Bacchus or Apollo, the


rounded cheeks, the ivory neck, the parted lips, and the glow of


health and exercise over all. He fell in love with himself. He


brought his lips near to take a kiss; he plunged his arms in to


embrace the beloved object. It fled at the touch, but returned


again after a moment and renewed the fascination. He could not


tear himself away; he lost all thought of food or rest, while he


hovered over the brink of the fountain gazing upon his own image.


He talked with the supposed spirit: "Why, beautiful being, do you


shun me? Surely my face is not one to repel you. The nymphs


love me, and you yourself look not indifferent upon me. When I


stretch forth my arms you do the same; and you smile upon me and


answer my beckonings with the like." His tears fell into the


water and disturbed the image. As he saw it depart, he


exclaimed, "Stay, I entreat you! Let me at least gaze upon you,


if I may not touch you." With this, and much more of the same


kind, he cherished the flame that consumed him, so that by


degrees he lost his color, his vigor, and the beauty which


formerly had so charmed the nymph Echo. She kept near him,


however, and when he exclaimed, "Alas! Alas!" she answered him


with the same words. He pined away and died; and when his shade


passed the Stygian river, it leaned over the boat to catch a look


of itself in the waters. The nymphs mourned for him, especially


the water-nymphs; and when they smote their breasts, Echo smote


hers also. They prepared a funeral pile, and would have burned


the body, but it was nowhere to be found; but in its place a


flower, purple within, and surrounded with white leaves, which


bears the name and preserves the memory of Narcissus.





Milton alludes to the story of Echo and Narcissus in the Lady's


song in Comus. She is seeking her brothers in the forest, and


sings to attract their attention.





"Sweet Echo, sweetest nymph, that liv'st unseen


Within thy aery shell


By slow Meander's margent green.


And in the violet-embroidered vale,


Where the love-lorn nightingale


Nightly to thee her sad song mourneth well;


Canst thou not tell me of a gentle pair


That likes thy Narcissus are?


Oh, if thou have


Hid them in some flowery cave,


Tell me but where,


Sweet queen of parly, daughter of the sphere,


So may'st thou be translated to the skies,


And give resounding grace to all heaven's harmonies."





Milton has imitated the story of Narcissus in the account which


he makes Eve give of the first sight of herself reflected in the


fountain:





"That day I oft remember when from sleep


I first awaked, and found myself reposed


Under a shade on flowers, much wondering where


And what I was, whence thither brought, and how


Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound


Of waters issued from a cave, and spread


Into a liquid plain, then stood unmoved


Pure as the expanse of heaven; I thither went


With unexperienced thought, and laid me down


On the green bank, to look into the clear


Smooth lake that to me seemed another sky.


As I bent down to look, just opposite


A shape within the watery gleam appeared,


Bending to look on me. I started back;


It started back; but pleased I soon returned,


Pleased it returned as soon with answering looks


Of sympathy and love. There had I fixed


Mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire,


Had not a voice thus warned me: 'What thou seest,


What there thou seest, fair creature, is thyself.'"


Paradise Lost, Book IV
Reply:I don't know much about Echo. Narcissus is a different story. The moral is vanity. When Narcissus say his reflection in the dark pool he fell in love with himself. It's a good example of a virtue when taken to the extreme becomes a vice.


Self satisfaction is a virtue. Pride is a virtue. When pride is taken all the way to vanity ( self love ) it's a vice.


Narcissus so disgusted the Gods that they turned him into a flower. I personally believe the Gods have been turning far too many people into flowers lately.
Reply:I don't believe that stories back in those days were necessarily meant to have a moral lesson. If anything, the story just exists to explain the reason for echos and narcissus flowers. They're creations myths of a sort, not morality tales.

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