Plato's Allegory and Pericles' Funeral Oration

Plato’s Allegory is a story about a cave and how people are in a cave with no light other than fire behind them. The people are chained to the wall and cannot move their heads, so when people move past the fire, shadow reflects on the wall. In the first part of the allegory they describe the process if one of the prisoners got free they would have sharp pain and prefer the other objects which are shown on the wall by shadows. Then they would drag him up to the surface to see the sunlight. He then grew accustomed to the light and was sent back down into the cave. All of this tells a story about different knowledge. The first stage when they are in a cave is having no knowledge or no understanding of things. The second stage when he is brought out into the light is when he gains understanding of a new world around him and he starts to process it. The last stage is when he goes into the cave knowing about what the objects are and that he has gained that knowledge. These are different stages that people can be in through their lives for a variety of reasons. Knowledge can be very helpful and provide insight into our lives and can lead us in good directions, which is what the allegory means to me.

Pericles’ Funeral oration is about a mass funeral of the war between Athens and Sparta. Through the speech he touches on the key subjects of democracy, freedom, and war. Pericles talks about how they are different from other countries and how it forms its own pattern. He claims that they are welcoming to everyone and that the country gives everyone opportunities to help their citizens. This is the common theme throughout the oration since Pericles continues to bring the ideal that their country puts aside their own personal needs to strive for the greater good of the country. He uses this ideal to push people to continue fighting for Athens and to lift people's spirits. This is his way of justifying to the people that their families, friends, and relatives sacrificed their lives for a reason, their country. Pericles continues to highlight the idea that Athens is better than other countries in freedom and democracy, allowing its citizens to lead a better life.