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Metaphors In Plato's The Allegory Of The Cave

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“There is no truth, there is only perception.” - Gustave Flaubert. While some may argue that there are some concrete truths in the world, there is no real “truth” in metaphors, just perception. Metaphors are used to project certain messages to the audience. These messages can be applied to most situations and never become outdated which makes the metaphors themselves virtually eternal. Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” is still relevant today because it is totally metaphorical. There are four main metaphors in this story that Plato uses to present his message. This story’s first metaphor is in the cave. The story portrays the cave as a familiar place to the prisoners. Somewhere they have been their entire lives. As a result, the prisoners …show more content…

A real life comparison to this metaphor is a friend introducing a new idea that does not line up with our traditional beliefs. This new idea might cause anger, confusion, and pain much like the feelings associated with being dragged out of a dark cave into the light. Exposure to new ideas is healthy and may even strengthen one’s personal beliefs. Metaphor number three is above the surface. The prisoner that was freed is now adjusting to and accepting the world above as a better way of life. As he or she reflects back to the cave, it now seems close minded and meaningless when the prisoner compares it to life on the surface. This is much like someone accepting a new idea and looking back at their previous positions and wondering why they refused the surface for so long.
In the fourth metaphor, the freed prisoner chooses to venture back into the cave in hopes of bringing some of the other prisoners up to the surface. Now relating to our lives, a person who has just discovered a better idea would be trying to convince others to accept this new found idea. The story shows no indication of any of the other prisoners considering going to the surface. Very similarly, most will find a lack of enthusiasm from others toward exploring new ideas. They would rather stay comfortable in the familiar rather than exploring the

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