Comparing Socrates 'Apology And' Crito

Improved Essays
In both stories, *The Apology* and *Crito* deal with morals and ethics of if it is acceptable to disobey laws set in place by your government or by state. In *The Apology* Socrates is placed in court and charged with not following the gods that have been set in place by his government, and “corrupting” the Athenian youth. He boldly sticks to his opinion in a condescending way in which he antagonizes the jurors and gets sentenced to death. In this dialogue he is disregarding his government’s laws. He is proud to be put to death because he knows that it will do the jurymen more harm them good.

In Plato’s *Crito*, Socrates is in his prison cell awaiting his execution. He is then visited by his friend Crito who has planned an escape to get Socrates

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    Socrates is a philosopher known for his teachings in Athens. He taught his entire life, where no one would bother him. Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth and inventing new gods at the age of seventy. For varies reasons which will be discussed later, the city of Athens chose to wait till this age to prosecute and execute him. Socrates chose to accept his fate instead of escaping to avoid execution.…

    • 1322 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Then, Crito gave Socrates three different kinds of arguments for why Socrates should escape from the prison, and…

    • 1456 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Crito Argument

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “Crito” is a dialogue written by Plato during 360 B.C.E. In the beginning of the dialogue, Socrates is in prison waiting to be executed. He is visited by his friend, Crito, which tries to convince Socrates to escape the prison. Crito and his friends had made arrangements so that Socrates can escape, but Socrates is unwilling to do so as he wants to go through his execution. Crito presents to him many arguments to try to persuade him to escape.…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In Plato’s Crito Socrates is in his prison cell waiting for his execution. Crito, an elderly Athenian who for many years has been a devoted friend of Socrates and a firm believer in his ethical teachings is trying to get Socrates to escape jail; Plato shows us this in the form of a dialogue. However, Socrates wants no part in escaping and accepts his execution, even with Crito continuing to present as many different ways possible for him to escape, this dialogue shows something about Socrates character by describing difficult times without him being overcome by what he was facing. Socrates shows the same emotion of calmness about important matters that had shaped his life in freedom, he had slept peacefully throughout the night and wondered why Crito was there so early, Crito wants to know how he was able to sleep so peacefully and remain calm. Even the…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the text, Crito, a man by the name of Socrates is put in jail for a crime he did not commit. He is urged by another, named Crito, to escape from jail as it is unfair for him to be locked away for something he did not do. Although, Socrates firmly believes he should stay and face the time rather than escape. It is unjust for him to escape because he will spend his life running with no place to go and settle down, he will destroy the laws, and he should not do wrong just because wrong was done to him. It is unjust for Socrates to escape from jail because he will be running from the law without having anywhere to go.…

    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Crito Argumentative Essay

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the Crito, Socrates had a decision to make. Socrates was on trial for bogus charges. Since Socrates was not necessarily a well-liked man in Athens, he was charged and sentenced to death. While he was in jail waiting to be killed, Socrates had the opportunity to escape with the help of his friend Crito. Socrates never rushes to make a decision, so he and Crito had to talk it out.…

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The following essay will discuss Socrates reasons for refusing Crito’s offer of help in Crito, as well as whether or not these refusals are justified. We will discuss each of Socrates reasons for refusing in turn, criticising each as we move through the dialogue. Crito raises the problem of the extent to which a moral person is obligated to their City State (referred to as Athens and the State throughout), as well as the individual's dedication to the central principle of the dialogue; never doing any wrong. We will focus on the idea that by being wronged by the State, Socrates’ obligation is dissolved but his reasons remain justified due to his dedication to the avoidance of wrongdoing and Plato's need to have Socrates be a consistent character and this being the sole justification for his refusal. Socrates gives four reasons as to why he refuses Crito’s offer of escape.…

    • 1411 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Socrates Vs Crito

    • 155 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Crito is afraid of the people’s opinion pertaining to his not letting Socrates free when he had the chance. His main concern is that they will say that he was paid off to let Socrates stay and be killed. Socrates declares that the opinions of those who simply do not understand do not matter when it comes to making a critical decision such as the one at hand. Then, without worrying about the Athenian’s sentiments, he compares the good that might come out of the situation and the bad: between making an escape and staying to die. Socrates goes on to say that if he disobeys the laws under which he has been placed and abided by for his whole life, he will be forced into a meaningless existence, being an enemy.…

    • 155 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Set during the socratic age of philosophy, The Apology by Plato chronicles the trial of Socrates on the charges of corruption of youth and not believing in the Gods. Plato, a young follower and apprentice of Socrates, documents the trial in its’ entirety from beginning to the unfortunate end in which Socrates is sentenced to death. The Apology is the trial of Socrates on a very basic and literal level but upon further inspection, one comes to realize that not only the philosopher is on trial but philosophy itself. Throughout the piece, Socrates attempts to convince the jury of philosophy’s worth and also criticize the condition of man. Furthermore, the recounting of the trial is also a protest of the hypocrisy within the Greek society that…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Crito by Plato is premised with Socrates in his prison cell and awaiting his execution. Socrates’ friend Crito then comes and tries to convince him to escape his cell. Socrates and Crito discuss and argue about whether Socrates should escape prison or not. In their dialogue, the topic about laws emerge. Socrates states, “by giving every Athenian the opportunity, once arrived at voting age and having observed the affairs of the city and us the laws...…

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Throughout the Apology, Socrates demonstrates his quest for justice and the duties that he had towards the city of Athens. After a visit to the oracle of Delphi with Chaerephon, Socrates decides to disprove the oracle as the oracle declared him the wisest man of Greeks (Apology, 21a). Socrates knew that the oracle was always right, yet the concepts of truth and justice pushed him to test it. In order to do so, he questions all the men known for their high wisdom. He started with politicians, poets, and finally craftsmen.…

    • 140 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the Apology of Socrates there is not real evidence of true impiety for the Athenian government, but Socrates does put forth feelings of arrogance and self-confidence within himself and his beliefs. Throughout Socrates’ trial he hardly questions anyone which would be seen in a traditional trial, he often goes on tangents and laments about the injustices of the world in large words that perhaps many of the people there did not understand which leads to him being seen as impious and rejecting traditional Athenian values. In the beginning of his trial Socrates talks about how he had never been to court in his more than seventy years of life, and that because he wasn’t accustomed to their language he would talk in the language he had learned,…

    • 1058 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In The Crito, Plato illustrates Socrates in a complete contrast to the image that the reader captured in The Apology. In the dialogue between Crito and Socrates, Crito tries to convince Socrates that escaping out of jail is the right the thing to do. Crito first argues by explaining that it would be wrong for Socrates to throw his life away in prison because if he decides to remain in prison then he will be doing exactly what his enemies intended to do. Crito continues his argument by explaining that if he were to remain in jail he will be silenced, thus, Socrates would be conspiring with other people who are trying to do something unethical. Crito continues by brining forth Socrates’ children and how they would be affected and would be left without a father, however, Socrates isn’t convinced by Crito’s…

    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Plato's Apology Argument

    • 970 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Every human being has the ability to decide what they believe and what they do not. At a very early age, we develop judgement that allows us to choose whether or not to accept certain claims. These assertions may be tempting, but our reasoning allows us to critically analyze the information with respect to all of our previous knowledge. These claims may be faith based, fact-based, or opinion. Without recognizing it, we take every bit of information we gather, analyze it, and decide whether we accept its validity.…

    • 970 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    ‘The Apology’ written by Socrates most famous student Plato, is a Socrates dialogue where he is defending himself from the accusations of corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods of Athens. He tells the court that these accusations are false and he does believe in the gods of Athens. He also tells them that he did not corrupt the youth, in fact the youth followed him on their own free will. According to Socrates the problem was that people who called themselves wise were not actually very wise, their knowledge was based on ignorance thinking that they were wise and he wanted to help them see that true knowledge was knowing nothing rather than believing that they know everything. As philosophy is based on questioning everything,…

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays