Plato's "Crito"

English > Analysis
Literature > Greek and Roman
Philosophy > Ancient Greek

Plato's "Crito"

Analyzes Plato's "Crito" in which Crito attempts to save his friend, Socrates from his imminent execution, through argument.

2,210 words () | 0 sources | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the dialogue between Socrates and Crito, in Plato's work "Crito", where Crito tries to convince Socrates to flee Athens to avoid his imminent execution and Socrates argues against flight. The paper then explores the strength of Socrates and Crito's arguments, especially stressing the extreme differences in the morality of their positions. The paper concludes that the "Crito" presents Socrates as maintaining his philosophical ways to the end, even in the face of his own death.

From the Paper:

"Crito opens with his strongest point, a plea to Socrates to think of him, particularly of what people would think of him if he didn't employ every resource available to him to save his friend in his time of greatest need. He then strengthens his point by drawing a comparison between his Socrates' other friends position of being slandered if Socrates were to be executed with Socrates' own current position of being killed based mainly on the opinions of the masses."