Comparing Socrates 'Clouds' And Aristophane's Apology

CLAS 1110 Second Paper Assignment

JoAnn Luhrs Spring 2017 Socrates was viewed by many people in Athens as insane. Two writers dedicated their plays to share their opinions about Socrates with an audience. Aristophane wrote a play called Clouds and another writer, Plato wrote a play called Apology. Both plays made fun of Socrates belief system and character. Aristophanes wrote how Socrates theories were ridiculous and Plato made Socrates to disagree with Athenians opinion about him. Aristophane created a comedy about how Socrates theories were absurd and how his philosophy

That scares me. (SOCRATES) These Clouds do, as they roll around. STREPSIADES But how? Explain that, you who dares to know it all. SOCRATES When they are filled with water to the brim and then, suspended there with all that rain, are forced to move, they bump into each other. They’re so big, they burst with a great boom. STREPSIADES But what’s forcing them to move at all? Doesn’t Zeus do that? SOCRATES No—that’s the aerial Vortex. STREPSIADES Vortex? Well, that’s something I didn’t know. So Zeus is now no more, and Vortex rules instead of him. But you still have not explained a thing about those claps of thunder. Socrates Weren’t you listening to me? I tell you, when the Clouds are full of water and collide, they’re so thickly packed they make a noise. Aristophane included this in his play to show how foolish Socrates theories could be. Clouds

Since Plato was a student of Socrates and became more interested in looking for wisdom because of his influence on him. He tried to explained to people who thought Socrates was corrupting the youth, his reason why he was doing those things Plato's depiction of Socrates is as a person who is wise, a person who thought outside the box, but it wasn’t ridiculous like Aristophane tried to make it. He is depicted as a skilled orator, meanwhile in The Clouds he is viewed as someone who tries to be an