Analysis of Apology by Plato

Plato's Apology is a detailed account of the trial of the great philosopher, Socrates, in Athens in 399 B.C. Socrates was brought to trial in front of a jury of 501 Athenians for charges of "corrupting the young" as well as impiety (p 28: 24c; p 31: 26c). All of these charges were false, particularly the accusation that Socrates was corrupting the youth of Athens.

As Socrates truthfully explains early in his argument, he is an elderly man and through the course of his life his quest for intellectual actualization and personal betterment has made him unpopular with many citizens of Athens (p 23: 18, 18c). Although Socrates is able to catch his chief accuser, Meletus, in several obvious contradictions through sinewy lines of questioning, he is ultimately unable to sway the majority of the sizable jury to vote in favor of his innocence. The verdict is guilty, and "Meletus asks for the penalty death" (p 39: 35d). Following Meletus's request comes Socrates's turn to recommend an alternative sentence. Socrates explains that he does not deserve to be put to death, but rather the life of selfless service to Athens and to the intellectual and spiritual betterment of Athenians should qualify him as worthy of "free meals in the Prytaneum" (p 40: 37).

The jury remains unsympathetic to Socrates, and he is sentenced to death (p 41: 37b). It is in relation to the death sentence that Socrates's true brilliance becomes evident. In an eloquent and passionate monologue, Socrates explains that he, unlike the many, does not fear death (p 43; 40d). He asserts that he faces a guilty verdict because of the manner of the speech of the argument alone rather than because of factual evidence. Socrates tells the jury that if he, like his accusers, had preyed upon the emotions of the jurymen, he would have emerged as the clear victor. To Socrates, however, this would not have been a warranted victory. He states "I would much rather die after this kind of [factual] defense than live after making the other [emotional] kind" (p 42: 38e).