Essay The Death of Socrates

The Death of Socrates resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is by Jacques Louis David, a French painter from the eighteenth century. This particular piece was done in 1787 about an event that occurred 399 BC. Socrates was faced with a legal decision to renounce his teachings or drink a cup of hemlock, killing himself. Socrates’s teachings were hugely influential in Greece at that time and it sparked recognizable change in Athens particularly. Athenian authority saw his revolutionary thought as a threat and because of his teaching he refused to renounce his teaching. Even without this knowing the dramatic story of the great thinker and his demise, David’s piece is profoundly striking. The movement and placement of each character as well as the balance of shape and color provide a certain attraction to this piece. Additionally, it provides a great example of the intriguing cross between art and The Academy. David intelligently pays tribute to the height and power of ancient philosophy as well as modern art and this marriage makes for a greatly impactful piece of art.

In this reading Plato tells the story of Socrates and his trial which ultimately lead to his death sentence. Socrates was a 70 year old man at peace with his own mortality yet willing to face his accusers with an almost definite possibility of death to maintain his own integrity and beliefs and morality. He fully understood from the beginning of his trial what the sentence handed down would be yet on a level of honor and courage not seen in abundance in modern society he maintained his stance and delivered a compelling and convincing argument. He openly stated that he knew his actions had offended Meletus and

By comparing himself to the Greek hero Achilles before the jury in Plato’s Apology, Socrates attempts to portray himself as a hero of equal merit to Achilles and others of similar standing. By selecting the greatest of the Classical Greeks to compare and contrast himself to in his argument, Socrates surreptitiously urges his audience to view him as being of the same caliber as Achilles. This not only authenticates Socrates’ claims, but also exhibits his disconnect from earlier forms of thought. Essentially, Socrates attempts to display himself in the same light as his predecessor Achilles through their shared aspiration to do what they deem to be right in addition to their

The first painting, Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David, depicts one of the great philosophers, Socrates being sentenced to death. Socrates was a famous Athenian philosopher. It was through the works of Plato, Socrates’s student, that we learn about the trials and imprisonment that Socrates endured for his way of thinking. Through David’s painting style and use of Neoclassicism, viewers can understand the significance.

Socrates was strong and healthy, yet he was “far from being handsome”. “Socrates was bearded, hairy, with a flat, spreading nose, prominent, popping eyes, and thick lips”. - condense this- He never sought to be in a high official position. He was able to control his emotions very well which helped him during his trial.

The painting The Death of Socrates by David and the written text “The Death of Socrates: Crito” by Plato generate a wide variety of emotions. The portrayal of Socrates’ strength and peacefulness is consistent in both pieces. One of the most important differences is that in the painting, Socrates is made to look much healthier, and more chiseled. At the time of his death, Socrates was approximately seventy years old. David wanted him to represent the youthful strength, zeal, and fearlessness of the republican movement on the eve of the French Revolution.

Socrates is a special phenomenon in the history of philosophy, especially in the background, in lifestyle, mode of living, style of thinking. Even to his death he also inspired poetry and painting.That death does not end its life but incarnate in another life to continue to touch the human heart with courage and the nobility of a person who doesn’t subdued under any material temptation and power. When people give poison to Socrates, He humorously asked if it was necessary to divide the divine offering? He was so calm before his death so someone thinks poison does not offered to Socrates but It was Socrates dedicated poison to himself.

This tragic event was “recorded by Plato,one of his two students, in the death scene from The Phaedo and, also in the famous painting, The Death of Socrates, Jacques-Louis David captures the moment of Socrates’ demise.

The Death of Socrates - Similarities INTRO: Condemned to death or exile by the Athenian government for his teaching methods which aroused scepticism in his students due to his promotion of free thought and monotheism, Socrates rejected exile and accepted his death in the form of hemlock. Two famous depiction are given of his final moments. One, an oil canvas painted by artist Jacques-Louis David depicting Socrates’ final moments in his chamber, and the other by Socrates’ then student Plato in his four part dialogue 'The Trial and Death of Socrates'.

Socrates as we know was Plato’s teacher and is the main character in his dialogues. As part of Plato’s dialogue, he focusses on Socrates who is confined in a prison

From the crooked heights of Troy to the winding streets of Athens, the ancient West was fascinated by epic heroes. Bards sang poems about the fleet footed Achilles and the cunning Odysseus. Every man, woman, and child knew the stories of Jason, Hercules, and Hector. However, there is one man who achieved fame akin to the epic heroes of olden times with neither strength nor skill. His name was Socrates. In ancient Greece, Socrates was the most famous celebrity. Today, Socrates is perhaps more famous than any epic hero. In an article entitled, “Celebrities of the Ancient World,” Robert Garland says, “The fact remains that Socrates was one of the best known Athenians of his day.” His disciplines of thought have influenced almost every aspect of modern society. Traces of Socratic method can be uncovered in modern school systems and in the media. Socrates is an unusual epic hero because he was ugly, he chose to use words over violence, and he realized the importance of education over glory.

As a source of inspiration to their literary works, it can be said that neoclassical painters are significantly inspired by most of the famous literary works. The Death of Socrates by J.L. David 1784 is an example of a neoclassical painter who resorted to famous literary works for inspiration and in this case, being Plato’s Phaedo. In his painting, the Death of Socrates, David chose not to capture Plato's narrative completely. This particular painting depicts a thematic of France’s pre- and post- revolutionary. In his artwork, David illustrates Greece in correspondence to the eighteenth century norms; the perspective chosen differs from that of Plato in portraying the last life moments of Socrates. In the painting, Socrates is an apologue that epitomizes a moral obligation to his place of origin. Socrates opted for death rather than being exiled from his community. His posture when facing death is an entreaty to his follower to take the right path which he is pointing at.

The Death of Socrates is a death beautiful. The horror is entirely absent from it. Socrates could not to fear death, because it frees us from the body. [...] Death is the friend of the soul.

The death of the Greek philosopher, Socrates is depicted on this painting. Jacques-Louis David painted The Death of Socrates in 1787, which was during the Neo-Classism period. David’s work is in horizontal format. It also portrays a stoic and serious theme. The painting depicts the story of Socrates being accused by the Athenian government of denying the gods along with corrupting the youth of Athens by teaching them the wrong beliefs. His way of teaching alarmed others and caused confusion. Socrates was left to either disagree with the beliefs he taught or stand by his beliefs and be sentenced to their death. Socrates had died willingly by drinking hemlock because he refuses to reject his teachings. This painting gave experience to the viewer the principle of resisting unjust authority. David shows Socrates preaching to his students, even as he is about to reach for the cup full of hemlock, being handed to him by his disciple dressed in a red robe, which demonstrations that he is dedicated to his beliefs even though he is about to be faced with his death due to those beliefs. His straight posture without any support for his back shows his readiness to devote his life to his beliefs. His positioning shows he is not scared to be sentenced to his death and it is pointing upwards so he is higher than the rest of the figures. This shows he is pointing towards heaven

“David portrays Socrates, the father of philosophy, about to drink deadly hemlock after the greek state convicted him of corrupting his students, the youth of Athens, by his teachings.”() Looking thoroughly through my book trying to find a good piece of art to research I ran across Jacques-Louis David painting “the death of Socrates” which was painted in 1787 with a stoic theme, David’s painting is considered to be one of his best work shortly after the painting was released “David was offered the choice of renouncing his beliefs or dying by drinking a cup of hemlock. David shows him prepared to die and discoursing on the immortality of the soul with his grief-stricken disciples(). Analyzing the art work