Appropriate Supporter for Political Authority Antigone

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Recommended: Conceptions of philosophy socrates advances in the apology

Classical plays such as [Apology] this is not a play. It is a Platonic dialogue. and Antigone are sometimes associated with English or philosophy. However, a closer look reveals two different political stand points against the government or the people. Revealed in the play Antigone, the female character is [exposed as a rebellion] awkward against the government; but in the play Apology, a male philosopher is seen as a martyr for his belief in a true justice system. Although both characters have some political standpoint, Socrates, the philosopher, has more respect for the political authority, since he supports [basic civil rights] there was no notion of rights in ancient Greece and follows the law without putting himself above the legal system.

Throughout the play Apology, Socrates is seen defending his actions instead of trying to cover up his accusations. This method of defending himself supports his will to reach justice and freedom of speech: “men of Athens, I honor and love you; but I shall obey God rather than you, and while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy... I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times" (Plato 35-36). Here, Socrates threatens the public by stating that if he were to be killed they would be unjustly taking away a man's life; they would also be missing out on the teachings that he has to offer ( Plato 36). He refuses to give up his practice of honest philosophy, which would potentially better the community. The method by which he approaches the situation may not be appropriate since it portrays him as [egocentric] why so? Unclear. Socrates follows the legal method accepted in Athens. How does that make him egocentric?, neverthel...

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...he had embarrassed; although he did bring enlightenment to the youth, he was sentenced to death. Socrates, however, does not fight this ruling but instead names it unjust and awaits his punishment. In Crito he accepts his death penalty by understanding that it was not by the authority of the laws but instead the men of Athens. It was their decision to sentence him to death and not the legal system. All of these factors portrayed Socrates as an individual who respected the legal authority.

Work Cited

lato, "The Apology," in Plato: The Trial and Death of Socrates, trans. G. M. A. Grube and John M. Cooper (Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, 2000)

Sophocles, Reginald Gibbons, and Charles Segal. Antigone. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2003. Print.

Plato, and Harold North Fowler. Crito With an English Translation. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1914. Print.

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