"...And Socrates forced them to agree..." (223d2): dramatic elements in Plato's Symposium

Abstract

In the Symposium, Plato incorporates the investigation of eros developed in the speeches held at Agathon's house within a specific narrative strategy, where one can sense the programmatic echo of drama. In my paper, I aim to examine certain aspects of this literary adaptation. Specifically, in addition to the motif of the door, I will focus on the incipit and explicit of the dialogue and on the presence of an uninvited character (ἄκλητος), in order to demonstrate the visible influence of comedy on the dialogue, at least in terms of its narrative structure.