Society is always changing, but there are underlying universal truths that. In Aristophanes's Birds, Athenians Pithetaerus and Euelipides seek asylum from the monstrous nature of the corrupt and greedy politicians that plague the human world by joining their perceived utopia with the birds, but find that the hunger for power is universal throughout civilization. Where Aristophanes tells about the troubling nature of humans through the characterization of birds, Plato addresses his own personal desire for man to strive for a truth greater than that offered by society in his Allegory of the Cave. Aristophanes's humor and Plato's somber and formal tone provide two completely different stories pertaining to extremely similar views on the truth
…show more content…
As Socrates begins to questions Glaucon, he asks him to imagine me who are “ ” ( ). Plato believes that all people are inherently these men, stuck in the cave, looking at shadows. Socrates proposes that after returning from outside the cave, it is an enlightened individuals duty to make sure they do not “linger there […] and refuse to go down among those bondsmen and share [his] labors and honors, whether they are of less or greater importance” (752). Plato writes of a much more positive view of man, who he believes to be able to go past society’s lies and assist his fellow citizens in learning of the truth. Plato eludes to the fact that life is only complete once the truth is known, therefore making the point of life achieving release from the cave’s confinement. The similar displeasure of humanity between Aristophanes and Plato does not prevent them from choosing completely different methods of expressing their frustration. Aristophanes employs irony, humor, and satirical tones in his story about Pithetaerus's transformation to convey his ideals pertaining to human’s inherent drive for power. On the other hand, Plato uses a much more logical and formal tone while addressing the truth in his character’s symbolic transformation and freeing experience outside the cave. While both of these stories were different in more ways than
As Socrates begins to questions Glaucon, he asks him to imagine me who are “ ” ( ). Plato believes that all people are inherently these men, stuck in the cave, looking at shadows. Socrates proposes that after returning from outside the cave, it is an enlightened individuals duty to make sure they do not “linger there […] and refuse to go down among those bondsmen and share [his] labors and honors, whether they are of less or greater importance” (752). Plato writes of a much more positive view of man, who he believes to be able to go past society’s lies and assist his fellow citizens in learning of the truth. Plato eludes to the fact that life is only complete once the truth is known, therefore making the point of life achieving release from the cave’s confinement. The similar displeasure of humanity between Aristophanes and Plato does not prevent them from choosing completely different methods of expressing their frustration. Aristophanes employs irony, humor, and satirical tones in his story about Pithetaerus's transformation to convey his ideals pertaining to human’s inherent drive for power. On the other hand, Plato uses a much more logical and formal tone while addressing the truth in his character’s symbolic transformation and freeing experience outside the cave. While both of these stories were different in more ways than