Why Did Socrates Want To Escape

n the Crito, a variety of unfortunate events occur to Socrates; he becomes imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, being framed falsely. While awaiting his execution due to injustice a dear friend of Socrates, Crito, has arranged for his escape. While confined, Socrates has a conversation with Crito, that in order to avoid being executed for unjust reasons he must escape that night. Socrates refuses to take Crito’s advice of escaping from prison and escaping his dying fate. Socrates was always a man who believe there was no such thing as a “coincidence”, that it was all part of fate; that everything that happens, is for a reason… Thus, sees his imprisonment as part of his destiny. Time passes by, and he has now been in prison for about a month, due to the fact that no execution of a criminal could be done until a certain ship shall arrive on its return from the island of Delos. If this ship does not return from the island, Socrates could

In the Apology, Socrates is going through the trial and explaining to the people of the court how justice should prevail, but if it does not, the blood that is shed from his body, will be blood on their hands. In Gorgias, we gather a better understanding of why Socrates thinks the way he does, and why he believes justice will always prevail, and that it is always better to accept your destiny than to run from it. Crito fits in with his claims in the Apology and Gorgias within the nature of his punishement and why he should be just, is because Socrates believes what goes around comes around. If he is to run from something, it will only come back and bite him later on. In other words, the law of karma comes in these plays, this universal law states, nothing happens by chance. Every action has a reaction or consequence and as the Bible states, we must “reap what we have