Virtue In Plato's Apology Essay

1098 Words3 Pages

The aesthetics of being taken in by a tall tale or someone’s superior wit, is explained by simple human curiosity. We love to be entertained by suspense, comedy, pain, sadness, hurt and etc. Not only are these emotions observed, but experienced by the audience. That is what entices the human race. To be summoned into a story and letting the imagination explore through the words, letting it create a life of it’s own inside the audience. That alone is so devious, but there is so much more to the cunning within and surrounding a tale.

This pleasure of being sunken into the words of another is deeply expressed in Plato’s The Apology. In the beginning the viewer is already wrapped into the feeling of being among the masses. What an expressive …show more content…

There is a lot of back and forth between Meno and Socrates in the beginning it’s a heavy conversation. There is this branching off of “virtue” and “a virtue”, it’s argued throughout the piece. When discussing, the dialogue is twisted and turned this cunning nature of almost reaching an agreement, yet there is a “What about this?” statement thereafter. Within all of this we come to a conclusion of no conclusion. Virtue cannot be known nor obtained or acquired by any manner. What is so cunning and clever in this piece? Plato makes an art of winding around and intriguing the audience’s mind putting an edge on each conclusion, until you anti-climactically (almost hysterically humorous) end. Not only again is Plato handing out this curiosity in a dialogue but sending an internal message to the …show more content…

Here is a worldly meaningful text, discussing the meaning of perception. Presented with the balanced thinking of “the way we see things”, simply encompasses this discussion. The aesthetic of cunning in this text is bringing a highly sophisticated response to a straightforwardly statured term. The art in this is displayed through, again, is so cunning, that it’s blatantly talked about as “Did you ever remark that they are also most cunning matchmakers, and have a thorough knowledge of what unions are likely to produce a brave brood?”. Socrates was talking about mid-wives. Commenting on the innocently intelligent ways of something in that time seen as very insignificant. Cunning inside of cunning, is a way to describe this writing of Plato. We are so entertained by this cunning in this particular work because the act of Plato’s internal direct text is describing an act, and at the same time it’s committing an act. When in aesthetic visual art is so important, provoking emotions and questions from the piece itself. A reflection from the artist, yet no tangible act to make the viewer feel that way, it’s all in the mind. So Plato’s presentation through cunning is aesthetically pleasing in the way of provoking the viewer, interacting with the

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