Characters
Socrates
-
The protagonist of The Apology, as well as
all of Plato's other dialogues. Socrates seems
to be a very simple man, not having many material
possessions and speaking in a plain, conversational
manner. However, this seeming plainness is all a
part of the ironic characteristic of Socrates'
method. Professing his own ignorance, he engages
in conversation with someone claiming to be an
expert, usually in ethical matters. By asking
simple questions, Socrates gradually reveals that
his interlocutor is in fact very confused and does
not actually know anything about the matters about
which he claimed to be an expert. The quest for
wisdom and the instruction of others through
dialogue and inquiry were considered by Socrates to
be the highest aims in life: one of his most famous
sayings is, "The unexamined life is not worth
living." Some have argued that Socrates himself
never advanced any theories of his own, and
certainly many of the doctrines that appear in the
later dialogues are of Plato's invention. In early
dialogues, such as The Apology, Plato
presents us with a Socrates who is less informed by
Platonic philosophy and serves more as foil for his
interlocutors who claim to have positive knowledge.
Meletus
-
The chief accuser of Socrates, responsible for
bringing him to trial. Little is known about
Meletus and by all accounts, he seems to have been
a rather insignificant figure. Plato's portrayal
of him, both in The Apology and in The
Euthyphro (see 2b) is far from sympathetic.
Socrates' cross-examination of him in The
Apology puts Meletus to shame.
