The Characterization Of Socrates In Apology By Plato

Apology by Plato tells the story of Socrates after he was put on trial. This text shows the argument that Socrates made while he was fighting for his life. He was sentenced to death because the people of Athens felt like he was corrupting the youth that lived in the city. Plato characterized Socrates as a kind, innocent man who was unfairly blamed for a crime that he did not commit. The audience in this book is the jury and the citizens that appeared in court but the bigger audience is those who sentenced Socrates to death. Plato wants to make the jury feel guilty for putting an innocent man to death. It is clear that no matter how innocent Socrates appeared he had no chance of being released. Through an analysis of Socrates’ argument and the jury’s decision, it is shown that the word choice and how Socrates characterizes himself led the audience to feel sympathy for him. The word choice in Apology is meant to elicit an emotional response from the audience. Through Socrates’ defense, Socrates appears to be an innocent man who is on trial because he angered the wrong men. In the
He is portrayed as an elderly man, who only wants the best for everyone else, but is attacked for his beliefs. The Oracle of Delphi said that Socrates was the wisest man that existed so he chose to investigate this, which is how he made so many enemies. His response to the Oracle was, “That God only is wise; and in this oracle he means to say that the wisdom of men is little or nothing” (paragraph 10). Because Socrates believes he is the least wise, the gods believe he is the most wise. This causes the audience to respect Socrates and it shows how humble he truly is. He later calls out Meletus, one of his enemies, and proves him wrong in front of the whole jury. By doing this, it shows that Socrates is an extremely smart man, who should have the adoration of the audience instead of their