Plato’s Portrayal of Socrates Essay -- Plato Socrates

Platos Portrayal of SocratesThe portrayal of Socrates by his student Plato creates sensation of the most controversial characters of all time. There atomic number 18 few some other personalities in history that have drawn criticism and praise from the furthest ends of each spectrum. Socrates has been called the inventor of reason and logic, and at the same time has been condemned as a corruptor and a flake. Perhaps he was all of these. Despite this disagreement, one is a certainty Socrates had a very interesting and active sense impression of humor.In order to successfully demonstrate Socrates sense of humor, it is necessary to draw a few terms. To begin, we must define clowning as it was looked upon in the time of Socrates, Plato, and the Greek playwrights. Greek comedy comes in many un care shades depending on both the author and the subject matter. There are two types of comedy that emerge as the most common when dealings with Socrates, slapstick and intellectual hu mor. Aristophanes uses the former as slapstick fart jokes and the like in Clouds. In an exchange with Socrates, Strepsiades exclaims, Yes, I revere you, much honour ones, and wish to fart in response. (Aristophanes, Clouds, 2931). On the other hand, Plato displays comedy as a more intellectual concept dealing quite a lot with puns and especially politics during Socrates trial. Socrates has been found guilty of impiety and demoralize the youth and the penalty of death has been suggested. Socrates uses his opportunity to suggest an alternative penalisation and suggests to be given my meals in the Prytaneum2, (Plato, Apology of Socrates, 36d3). This ridiculous hubristic and boastful4 proposal can only be taken as comedy because having already been found guilty, Socrates... ...ophical Perspectives, Section 4 Sixth Handout.SourcesAristophanes. Clouds. Translated by doubting Thomas G. westbound and blow up Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca Cornell University Press, 1998.Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion. Cambridge, MA Harvard University Press, 1985.Euripides. Bacchae. Translated by Paul Woodruff. Cambridge Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1998.Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. unfermented York Penguin Books, 1990.Plato. Apology of Socrates. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca Cornell University Press, 1998.Plato. Euthyphro. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca Cornell University Press, 1998.Sennet, Richard. Flesh and Stone, the carcass and the City in Western Civilization. New York W.W. Norton & Company, 1994.