SOCRATES on TRIAL More Than 2400 Years After His

More than 2,400 years after his death, Socrates remains an iconic but controversial figure. To his followers, he personified progressive Greek ideals of justice and wisdom. To his detractors, he was a corruptor of the young during wartime and one of the reasons Athens suffered its humiliating defeat at the hands of Sparta in 404 BC. Socrates’ story is one of historic proportions and his unyielding pursuit of truth remains controversial and relevant to the present day. Socrates on Trial presents the story of Socrates as told to us by Aris- tophanes, Plato, Xenophon, and others. The play uses fresh language to emphasize what is important in the works of these ancient authors, while at the same time remaining faithful to the general tenor and tone of their writings. Andrew Irvine has created a script that not only fits comfortably into the space of a single theatrical performance, but is also informative and entertaining. Suited for informal dramatic readings as well as regular theatrical performances, Socrates on Trial will undoubt- edly appeal to instructors and students alike. Complete with production and classroom notes, this modern recast- ing of the Socrates story will make riveting reading both inside and out- side the classroom. andrew d. irvine is a professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia. This page intentionally left blank ANDREW D. IRVINE

Socrates on Trial

A Play Based on Aristophanes’ Clouds and Plato’s Apology, Crito, and Phaedo Adapted for Modern Performance

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS Toronto Buffalo London www.utppublishing.com

ISBN 978–0-8020–9783–5 (cloth) ISBN 978–0-8020–9538–1 (paper)

Printed on acid-free paper

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Irvine, A.D. Socrates on trial : a play based on Aristophanes’ Clouds and Plato’s Apology, Crito, and Phaedo, adapted for modern performance / Andrew D. Irvine. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978–0-8020–9783–5 (bound) ISBN 978–0-8020–9538–1 (pbk.) 1. Socrates – Drama. 2. Aristophanes. Clouds. 3. Plato. Apology. 4. Plato. Crito. 5. Plato. Phaedo. I. Plato II. Aristophanes III. Title PS8617.R84S63 2007 C8129.6 C2007-905351-3

University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial assistance to its publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.

University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial support for its publishing activities of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP).

Performance of this play is subject to royalty. The play’s script is fully protected under national and international copyright laws and permission for its use must be obtained from the publisher prior to performance. Permission from the publisher is hereby granted without royalty for all educational and other not-for-profit performances and readings, provided appropriate acknowledgement is given to both the playwright and the publisher. Permission for all other performances must be obtained by contacting the publisher, whether the performances are to be done by professional or amateur companies, whether the script is to be used in whole or in part, and whether it is to be used for theatrical performances, public readings, public recordings, public broadcastings, or any other kind of presentation in any language and in any medium. Permissions may be obtained by contacting Permission Coordinator, University of Toronto Press, 10 St Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2W8, Canada.