What does Tantalus' suffering represent in the context of human experience?

Tantalus' suffering, as depicted in Greek mythology, symbolizes the fleeting nature of pleasure due to his eternal punishment of being tormented by hunger and thirst. He stands in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree, where whenever he reaches for the fruit, it eludes him, and whenever he bends down to drink, the water recedes. This relentless temptation highlights how pleasures can be tantalizingly close yet perpetually unattainable, reflecting the inherent human experience of desire and dissatisfaction. Tantalus embodies the struggle between desire and fulfillment, showing that even when pleasure seems within reach, it can slip away, leaving a sense of longing and unfulfilled aspiration at the core of the human condition.