The Republic (Blog Post 2)

The Republic

By Plato

Written 360 B.C.E

“And now, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened.” Through the allegory of the cave, Socrates explains how all human beings are educated. Describing a dark scene and envisioning all of mankind in a deep, enormous cave with one extensive tunnel that leads out towards the light is how the story takes place. Never seeing the light of day, in that cave is a group of individuals that have lived deep within the cave since birth. Chained so that they cannot look to either side or behind them but only straight ahead is how they have been from their childhood. Located above and behind them is a blazing fire, and between the fire and the prisoners rest a raised way. Various statues are located on top of the wall, which are operated by another group of people, lying out of sight behind the wall. Shadows are casted across the wall the the prisoners are facing as a result of the blazing fire. “ And they see only their own shadows or the shadows of one another, which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave?” meaning that they know nothing about how they look or anyone around them, all they can see is what it is that is directly in front of them. The prisoners watched the stories that these shadows performed. Being restricted from looking around and only in from of them, the shadow-puppet show was performed in front of them. The show consisted of all kinds of different objects and shapes. Since these shadows were all they ever got to see, they believe them to be the most real things in the world and that the truth consisted of what the shadows projected on the wall.

Later on a prisoner was freed. He was able to look around for the first time. Because he was surrounded by darkness for the majority of his life, he was slightly blinded by all the foreign light he was introduced to. He also wouldn't know what to make of the truth that surrounds him all over. Being in the den for a period of time, he has accepted what his reality is made out of  and for him to see this whole new reality outside of the den it’s hard for him to accept it for what it is. In my opinion I feel that it would be hard for anyone to accept something new into their life after being brought up in a whole new surrounding. Being told one thing and accepting it is one story but to be taken out of your comfort zone to experience a whole another light is where it gets complicated. On top of that seeing something as major as the prisoner saw, he would have a hard time trying to tell his other roommates otherwise because this is a situation where you would have to see in order to believe.  

Blog Posting 1: The Iliad XVI

The Iliad XVI

“Helen of Troy, the face that launched 1000 ships” was a quote that I always found interest in once I heard it on a popular television series, Scandal. Although I never read about it up until now, based on the story line in Scandal, it was kind of obvious what the famous quote symbolized. 

The Iliad XVI begins with Patroclus crying and Achilles making fun of him as a result of how he is feeling. Patroclus explains to Achilles that he is crying because “ All those who have been their champions so far are lying at the ships, wounded by sword or spear.” He goes into depth defending himself and proposes an idea, “Let me moreover wear your armor; the Trojans may thus mistake me for you and quit the field, so that the hard-pressed sons of the Achaeans may have breathing time- which while they are fighting may hardly be.” Achilles agreed with Patroclus but on one condition and that was for Patroclus to only drive the Trojans off the ship. Achilles did not want Patroclus to go any further because he feared that Patroclus would make a fool out of him. In the midst of their conversation, they are watching Ajax slowly being overpowered by the Trojans. He had no more energy left inside of him to defend the ship and as he recanted, the Trojans burned the ship down. As the fire was burning down the ships, Achilles urged Patroclus to get moving. Patroclus then got armed , putting on everything except for the spear of noble Achilles because “ for non other of the Achaeans could wield it, though Achilles could do so easily. While Patroclus was getting ready, Achilles went about everywhere amongst the tents getting the Myrmidons in order for war. “Even as fierce ravening wolves that are feasting upon homed stag upon a homed stag which they have killed upon the mountains…”, this quotes explains how the Myrmidons were behaving as they were ready to embark this journey to war. Without getting too in-depth, I’ll stop here.

For me to truly understand what was happening in this story, I had to take my time and process what was happing through out the entire reading. However I found it interesting how Patroclus wanted to lead the men to war and not Achilles. I also respected Ajax for surrendering and knowing when to stop when he did.