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This aspect of the work also confirmed a clear belief that Socrates held, that nothing bad could happen to a good man. Socrates believed this to be a fundamental truth and he believed that he was a good man. As such he was at peace with whatever was going to happen to him as a result of the trial. In this particular passage it is also clear that Socrates believed that death would be a better reality for him because he would not have to be uncomfortable any longer or have to deal with being misunderstood.
The third dialogue Crito involves a conversation with a loyal pupil who visits Socrates in prison the night prior to the day he died; the pupil attempted to convince him to escape the confines of the prison which had already been arranged by a group of friends (Rexroth, 1986).. When Crito attempts to get his teacher to escape the jail, Socrates again emphasizes that he is prepared to die and to obey the laws of the state. In this particular dialogue Socrates also scolds Crito for worrying about the opinion of others. Crito asserted that if Socrates died people would believe that he could have saved Socrates if he would have paid money. However Socrates contents that "Good men, and they are the only persons who are worth considering, will think of these things truly as they happened." Again Socrates returns...
During this dialogue the pupils explain that they spoke with Socrates about death and the differences between the soul and the body. During this dialogue it is apparent that Socrates was still teaching his student as he examined the merit of each argument. It seemed that a certain consensus was drawn and it asserted that the soul would probably outlive the body. However, the pupils also contended that it would be impossible to know if this was indeed true unless one was already dead. This seemed to be an argument that Socrates was at peace with.
Conclusion
The purpose of this discussion was to examine Plato's work "The Trial and Death of Socrates: Four Dialogues." The examination uncovered that this work emphasizes the strength of character that Plato possessed. Whether or not one agreed with his actions is irrelevant to the truth in which he lived; even if you believe that is was a misguided truth.
References
Plato. "The Trial and Death of Socrates: Four Dialogues"
Rexroth, K. (1986) Classics Revisited. New Directions: New York. Publication Year: 1986. Page Number: 51.
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