Sophistry

Question 1

Aristophanes’ Clouds - old vs new thinking (sophistry)

Answer 1

“i will shoot him dead with new words and thoughts”
-Aristophanes is an aristocratic and most aristocratic’s did not like sophists as they gave opportunities for lower class (links into sophistry)

Question 2

Euripides’ Hippolytus - Rhetoric

Answer 2

“i am not skillful enough to make a speech to a crowd”
-tragedy is often focused more on mythological
-Hippolytus proceeds to make a good speech (could link into the law courts, rhetoric and sophistry)

Question 3

Plato’s Republic - democracy

Answer 3

“in a good democracy the better classes will be content”
-Plato’s works are philosophical dialogue and so he presents different arguments throughout and so could be argued he gives a balanced argument

Question 4

Gorgias’ Ecomium of Helen - Rhetoric

Answer 4

“speech is a powerful lord”
-named as ‘father of rhetoric’ and he is speaking in favour of rhetoric so he is very biased

Question 5

Plato’s Protagoras - sophistry