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Analyzing Plato's 'Allegory Of The Cave'

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Analyzing Plato's 'Allegory Of The Cave'
The Allegory of the Cave
The “Allegory of the cave” by Plato represents a comprehensive representation intended to show distinction between the way we observe and believe in what is reality. The theory behind his metaphor is the basic tenets that all we observe are flawed “reflections” of the definitive Forms, which consequently signify truth and realism. Plato creates a cave in which prisoners are restrained by chains and forcefully made to gaze upon a wall of the cave. It is important to keep in mind when analysing the “Allegory of the Cave” the two foundations to the story, the illusory allegory of the prisoners and also the philosophical beliefs in which the story is supposed to represent, therefore giving us the allegory itself.
The prisoners are restrained to the floor and are not able to turn their heads to view behind them. There are puppeteers hiding behind the prisoners creating shadows on the wall, the prisoners ultimately perceive these to be reality. It is described to the reader that the prisoners would be inherently mistaken as to what is reality, we know that the puppeteers are using wooden and iron objects to make the shadows form reality based items and people, the prisoners would distinguish nothing else but the shadows, and recognise this as their own reality. …show more content…
When the prisoner is released, he looks upon the fire and objects that once dictated his perception of reality. The prisoner is able to view the real truth, which Plato describes as “aching” to the
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