Crito Quote Analysis

On the topic of obeying authority, an issue has been made on whether it is ever all right to disobey authority. On the one hand, people argue that authority is unquestionable and that one should always follow the rules. From this perspective, disobeying authority is the worst crime anyone could commit. Though extreme, this is the backdrop of Plato’s Crito, in which Socrates is put in jail for corrupting the minds of the youth as well as believing in his own gods and his own philosophy. On the other hand, however, others argue that one shouldn’t always be held back by what others say is right. Specifically, Socrates’s good friend, Crito, believes that Socrates should disobey the law and break out of prison. This brings into question what one

For instance, doctors are regarded as trustworthy people because of their title. In The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the narrator has a mental condition and is cared for by her husband, John, who is also a physician. In the beginning, she complies with his wishes of moving into a new house and not writing in her journal, however, she soon begins to struggle with her insanity. John tells her “I beg you, for my sake and for our child’s sake as well as for your own… Can you trust me as a physician when I tell you so” (322)? He doesn’t see how isolated she is and it begins to worsen her case. John believes that it is wrong to disobey authority. He wants her to listen to him because he is a doctor and so that she can get better for herself and her family. John’s incessant pleas are similar to how Crito is pleading with Socrates to flee the country. Both try to plead their case by saying that they need to think of their families, though in this case, Crito is not the authority being questioned. I believe that Crito seems to have more justification than John. John just wants his wife to behave while Crito begs Socrates to continue living in order pass on his legacy. But just because someone is a doctor or has authority, that doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes like any other