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The End of Plato’s Apology of Socrates
An Observation
The most honest part of the Apology almost certainly has to be the end. Here Socrates gives his public goodbye to the Athenian people, the people who have consumed the better part of his life and have sentenced him to die. What he says is remarkable, not only for its prophetic accuracy, but also for its honesty. Rarely, if ever, do we see Socrates so naked and bold in his pronouncements.
To begin with, Socrates immediately upon hearing that he is to die, curses Athens saying that the city will never wash the blood of Socrates’s death from their hands. Other people will always henceforth say that it was foolish and downright reviling to kill such a wise man. This prophetic thought eventually came true: Athens has of yet to wash the blood from her hands.
Socrates then continues by vehemently stating that he’d rather die after an unsuccessful defense than to be a wicked man like those who condemned him. For, as he says, it is very easy to become wicked and get wrapped-up in wicked affairs, and more difficult to die from righteous behavior. Here we see Socrates turning the tables on his accusers by making them out to be the wicked ones, something which we, the reader, knew all along. Socrates is proud to have never been captured by this wickedness, but rather to have been caught by slow-moving death. What I take from this is that Socrates wants us to be conscious of our actions. We must always examine our lives to see if we are involved in wickedness or untruthfulness, for if we are, then we must try to avoid it all costs. Wickedness is just too swift.
Now Socrates directly prophesies to the Athenian assembly. He quite boldly states that “vengeance” will visit those who have condemned him. Socrates maintains that this vengeance will come from the youths who have witnessed this deplorable trial. They will rise against the elders and will question why they killed Socrates. Resentment will fester from below. Socrates says that it is easy to kill someone and think you are the righteous one, but in all reality, you are a scoundrel. People will still reproach you for not living the right way. One cannot hide behind acts of judgment and condemnation. The truth will prevail.
This is a very different Socrates than the one we meet in other early dialogues. In these early dialogues, Socrates is playful and ironic, but here Socrates is bold, daring, and fiery. One can sense the seriousness Plato is trying to convey. Socrates is not being ironic when he says that Athens will be treated with disrespect over Socrates’ death or that vengeance will come to those who condemned him to die. These are the last words of a serious man, one who dedicated his life to the city that eventually condemns him to die. This climatic scene makes the Apology a terrible tragedy, but a tragedy with an affirmative, albeit depressing, ending.