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Aristotle's "Poetics" in the Context Essay

Pages:3 (800 words)

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Document Type:Essay

Document:#21769634




While the judges can be considered responsible for hamartia, Socrates himself is also accountable for hamartia when considering that he plays an important role in influencing the judges in wanting to put him to death. He actually has a choice, but he is reluctant to adopt an attitude that would induce feelings related to mercy.

Ethos is also a dominant concept across Socrates' discourse, as he apparently believed that by influencing the audience to think about how they perceive goodness he would open people's eyes and influence them in seeing that he was actually innocent. Socrates basically felt that people needed to think about themselves and on how they understand the difference between right and wrong in order to be able to learn more about his personality. He practically believed that by adopting this attitude he would influence the masses in feeling that it would be extremely wrong for them to support an episode in which an innocent man would be put to death for no reason whatsoever. Socrates obviously believed that ethos would be an important tool in the overall argument that he was putting across and that it was essential for him to appeal to people's feelings with regard to humanity in general in order to enable them to see matters from a different perspective.

Agnorisis also takes place in Plato's "Apology," taking into account that Socrates eventually comes to realize that his own thinking is responsible for influencing his judges to consider that it would be wrong for them to consider him innocent. It is practically as if Socrates becomes acquainted with the harmful effect that his own personality has on him. He has no choice but to accept his fate, as doing otherwise would simply mean that he would change everything about who he is.

Socrates' understanding of the gravity of the condition that he is in actually plays an important role in enabling readers to comprehend that he simply needs to accept his fate. He is nonetheless aware that his ability to put across philosophical thought enables him to win in the long run, as the fact that he is about to lose his life cannot stop him from being appreciated for the valuable role that he plays in making society as a whole gain a more complex understanding of human nature.

Works cited:

Aristotle, "The Poetics," (Kessinger Publishing, 2004)

Plato, "Apology," (United Holdings…


Sample Source(s) Used

Works cited:

Aristotle, "The Poetics," (Kessinger Publishing, 2004)

Plato, "Apology," (United Holdings Group

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