Socrates sets off his apology by accusing his accusers of lying about him. He holds that the accusations levelled against him have almost made him forget who he really is. He persuades the crowd to look deeper into the accusations levelled against him and to listen to that he has to say. Socrates begins by addressing the first lot of his accusers. He believes that he knows why there is so much enmity levelled against him. The main reason why Socrates is hated by the young and old is that he is wise and believed so ("The Apology Of Socrates. Plato. 1909-14. The Apology, Phædo And Crito. The Harvard Classics"). He accuses Aristophanes for making a joke out of his wisdom and for claiming through his plays that Sophocles knows more than the latter claims. He believes that the crowd has been swayed by what they have heard about him, Sophocles, right from when they were young and impressible.
Socrates tells the crowds that his belief in the power of his wisdom came after a god, whom he believed was wiser than him declared that he was the wisest of human beings. This led him to a journey where he interacted with poets, artists and politicians, those believed to be wise and honorable. He was however disappointed because he did not find anyone wise amongst the groups that he visited. He concluded that some of the ordinary people who have no influence in the society were wiser than those who had power and influence.
Socrates is unapologetic in his speech. He maintains that it is because of his wisdom that he is maliciously accused and judged unfairly. He applauds his friends for standing by him, and curses his adversaries.
Work Cited
"The Apology Of Socrates. Plato. 1909-14. The Apology, Phædo And Crito. The Harvard Classics". Bartleby.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 19 July 2016.
