Euthyphro vs. the Prisoner

Euthyphro vs. the Prisoner
Most writers strive to create a character who can portray different traits and help build the perfect story line. Characters are what makes a story alive. Writers try to bring out the main themes of their writing by use of characters. The characters are used to depict different values and vices in the society. As a writer, one can either decide to use one character or different characters. However, in the situation of many characters, one of them is deemed to be the main traits. Through him, the writer can bring out clearly the main lessons of the writing. The author gives the main character some attributes which may be desirable or not, depending on the central theme of the book.
Plato in his book “A Guide Tour of Five Works,” clearly brings the story to life using his characters. He mainly uses dialogue, which is the very essence of our day to day interactions. Talk makes it easy for the readers to identify with the characters hence deduce lessons and apparently judge the attributes of the characters. As with all humans, the characters in different stories in Plato’s book have similarities and differences that are brought out in the dialogues involved. In this essay, we are going to compare and contrast the characters of Euthyphro from “Euthyphro” and the prisoner from “Allegory of the Cave.”
The first similarity between this characters is that they are slaves to the law. It is clear that the prisoner has no right to make a decision. He quickly follows as told.

He does not have the right to free himself from the law. He follows whatever the law expects him to do. Also for Euthyphro, he believes in the law. He believes in doing the right thing, and that is the reason he is suing his father (Biffle and Plato 10). Euthyphro has been a slave to justice to the extent of forgetting that blood is thicker than water. He is not afraid of the hatred which he would receive from family members and what the society would think of him.
The second similarity is that they are both adamant about their beliefs. Adamant about their beliefs means that they are strong in what they believe. It is clear that Euthyphro firmly believed in the existence of gods. He believes that the gods would like humans to live a good life. He also believes in right and wrong. His beliefs in punishment if one does a wrong in the society. That is the reason why he goes to an extra mile of suing his father for murder. The point that they are associated with blood or sharing the same roof does not move him. Adamant about beliefs also applies to the prisoner. It is clear that the situation put up in have made him develops personal views. His beliefs are that those in the life outside the cave are more interested in honor and glory. It would be hard for someone to try and convince them that all they had believed in was an illusion (Plato and Cowley 84)
The third similarity is that both are good listeners. According to (Biffle and Plato 12) it is evident that Euthyphro listens to Socrates. During the entire dialogue Euthyphro listens keenly to Socrates with minimal interruptions, he gives Socrates a chance to express himself and ask as many questions as possible. He answers all the issues asked. Also, the prisoner obeys the instructions. After being taken from the cave and an instructor assigned to instruct him, he listens careful and follows (Plato and Cowley 84). The fourth similarity is that both are patient. It is clear that Euthyphro gives Socrates enough time to express himself and ask as many questions as he can. He then answers them according to his understanding. Socrates goes to the extent of asking the same question over and over. Euthyphro still tries to explain it the best way possible. He does not get tired or irritated by Socrates behavior (Biffle and Plato 83). The prisoner is also patient in that he spends most of his life in the cave chained. He is patient enough until the day he is realized from the cave and taken to the real world. Upon being brought to the reality, he is patient sufficiently to learn all that he can.
Another similarity is that both have found peace in their comfort zone. It is evident that Euthyphro is firm in his beliefs and thinks that the society should judge everyone equally. He peacefully believes that the gods are pleased by humans who do the right things. Aforementioned is the reason why he prosecutes his father without much trouble. Also, the prisoner is comfortable with the light emitted by the fire. When taken to the sun, he is burnt in his eyes and tends to hide back to the shadows. Aforementioned implies that he is comfortable in the dark rather than in the light. He would also find comfort in his place of dwelling rather than in the rest of the world. He views them as glory seekers (Plato and Cowley 85).
The first difference between them is that the prisoner at the end is willing to change his beliefs. It is clear that the prisoner adapts to his new environment after some time. He gets to learn the difference between the sun and the fire. He also learns to cope with all the changes in the environment. Unlike Euthyphro, who still holds on to his beliefs even after the criticism he gets from Socrates. He is firm in the beliefs of the existence of gods and the moral and immoral things. He, however, holds on to the belief that punishment should take place in the case of any wrongdoing. Aforementioned is the reason why he stills holds on to the idea that his father should, therefore, be charged with murder (Biffle and Plato 13).
Another difference is in the reasons as to why they behave in the way they do. For Euthyphro, he is a strong believer in the gods due to the knowledge he has about the gods. He is more educated about the laws of the society as compared to the others. The experience makes him firm in his decisions. Unlike the prisoner who behaves according to the environment he is exposed. If put in the cave, he will quickly adapt to the darkness and the surroundings, and when taken from the cave he will behave differently.
Another difference is the fact that the prisoner is more human than Euthyphro. Euthyphro goes to the extent of prosecuting his father on the charges of murder. He does not want to know the circumstances under which the victim died. However, it is clear that the prisoner thinks about the other inmates whom he left in the cave once he experiences the other life outside the cave (Plato and Cowley 85). Another difference is that Euthyphro is concerned about honors and glory. One of the reasons as to why he prosecutes his father because he wants to be glorified just as it was done by the people after Zeus killed his father (Biffle and Plato 11). He wanted the people to view him as a very moral person who did as the gods wanted. However, the prisoner prefers the slavery life where there is no honor and glory. He had nothing to look up to in his life and did not find any joy in praises.
Another difference is that Euthyphro was learned. He had full knowledge about the gods and the moral and the immoral things. He was able to explain to Socrates and answer the questions asked. He also knew about the laws which would be used by the jury and the judges in the courts. Unlike the prisoner who was not learned. He was not aware the difference between the sun and the fire. Neither did he make his decisions. He had to follow the instructions given.
Another difference between them is that the prisoner was easy to convince, unlike Euthyphro. It is evident that Euthyphro would not fall into Socrates trap. Socrates wanted to convince to drop the charge against his father. However, Euthyphro could not belong to this trap he even had to find an excuse so as to get away from Socrates. However, the prisoner has no firm stand when in the cave he is comfortable in it. When he gets a chance to explore to rest of the world he feels sorry for his fellow prisoners who had not yet experienced it. He adapts to it and moves on with life after being taken back to the cave.
In conclusion, writers can use different characters in their writings so as to bring up different traits. These features are used to educate the readers on some of the aspects affecting the society. This characters may be used to criticize or enforce some vices or virtues in the society. The characters used may have similar or contradicting traits so as to bring out this lessons apparently. The characters employed in the above essay are Euthyphro and the prisoner. Their characters can show how fanaticism can affect the society. They are also used to demonstrate the importance of education in the community. The writer uses them to put across the important themes in his writing.
Works Cited
Biffle, Christopher, and Plato. A Guided Tour of Five Works by Plato: With Complete Translations of Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo (the Death Scene), and “Allegory of the Cave”. Mayfield Pub. Co, 2001.
Plato, and Jonathan Cowley. Symposium, the Apology, and the Allegory of the Cave. Tantor Media, 2011.