In Plato’s story of Crito, Socrates has been locked up in jail for supposedly “corrupting the youth of Athens.” He has mentally prepared himself for the punishment they have finally decided to give him; the punishment of death. They are forcing him to commit suicide by willingly drinking a cup full of poison. Once he had accepted the fact that he was going to die, his friends became concerned with how easily he was taking the whole situation. Therefore, his close friend Crito comes over and tries to convince him to escape. However, Socrates did not want to leave the jail cell. Socrates believes it would be wrong to run and escape, for he feels that morally it is unjust to react to injustice by committing another injustice. He had his mind set on dying. He believes that his soul will never cease to exist. Crito finds Socrates’ way of thinking very depressing and does not take well to the whole situation. Throughout the story, Crito tries to convince him otherwise. However, Socrates does not listen to anyone, he is fixed in his beliefs. As Plato’s story continues on to Phaedo, the time has come for Socrates to drink the poison. Surprisingly, Crito was the one who took it the worst. Socrates even had to tell Crito and his other good friends to control themselves after he drank the poison. “So keep quiet and control yourselves” (117e). Eventually, Socrates passed away. As soon as Socrates departed his soul from his body, Crito had to take it all in. “Socrates made a movement; the man uncovered him and his eyes were fixed. Seeing this, Crito closed his mouth and his eyes” (118a). I can relate the story of Pheado and Crito’s situation to a song called Winter by Bayside. The band sings about how they have lost a close friend of theirs and how it has affected each of them. However, they know that their old band member is safe. “An angel got his wings and we’ll hold our heads up, knowing that he is fine.” This lyric relates to Socrates’s philosophy on death, that a good man cannot be harmed (42). Crito believed Socrates when he told him he would be fine when he passed away. Also, socrates told Crito to control himself after he drank the poison. In the lyrics of Winter, the main singer Anthony sings “Wash away the pain and give me back control, control” in reference to gaining his bearings on the lose of such a close friend. Likewise, Crito was always a good friend to Socrates. No matter who went against him, Crito would always support Socrates’ ways. “Friends stay side by side. In life and death you always stole my heart”, yet another similarity between the song and the story of Crito. All in all, they both end up loosing someone that had once meant the world to them. Unfortunately for the band and for Socrates, they are forced to cope with the tragedy life has put in front of them. In the end, that’s really all any of us can strive for; to make the best of every situation thrown in our paths.
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