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Symbols
Although the majority of Phaedo focuses on Socrates’s philosophical ideas rather than his coming death, the fact that he will soon be forced to drink poison hemlock hangs over the entire dialogue, and the poison itself comes becomes a symbol of the fact that he has given up his life in order to uphold his values. Even though he’s about to die, Socrates sees no reason to “resent” or fear death, telling Crito to fetch the poison despite Crito’s reminder that he doesn’t need to drink it until sundown. In keeping with his willingness to die for his beliefs, Socrates also uses the poison to pour a “libation” to the gods, an act that symbolizes his unswerving piety and strong philosophical convictions—both of which remain uninfluenced by the (very immediate) prospect of death.
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The Poison Symbol Timeline in Phaedo
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Poison appears in Phaedo. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Phaedo
...Socrates asks Crito what’s troubling him, and his friend says that the man mixing the poison for Socrates’s execution told him to inform Socrates that he shouldn’t talk too much. This,...
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...he’s become quite fond of Socrates—enters and tells him he’ll soon have to drink the poison, and Socrates shows no hesitation in saying that he’s ready to receive it.
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The poison is brought in, and Socrates pours a “libation” to the gods before drinking it. After...
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