Name_____________________________
Study
Sheet for The Allegory of the Cave
Background
1.
Write down anything you know about the author, Plato, and his times.
Write down the definition of allegory.
Understanding
1.
Read pp. 109-113 once. Look
up any unfamiliar words in a dictionary. Write the definitions below.
2.
The first sentence of the allegory gives the main idea.
Paraphrase the
sentence below.
3.
Summarize the literal meaning of the story below.
Describe the setting, characters, and story line.
4.
To get at the symbolic meaning, list as many symbols as you can find
and try to figure out for what they stand.
Symbol
Meaning
5.
What do you think is the theme of the allegory?
Or, in other words, what is Plato trying to convince you of?
Evaluation
6.
Do you agree or disagree with Plato?
Why or why not? Remember,
your supporting reasons can be from your own experience (if you realize that
your experience may not be the same as others), from your knowledge of other
areas (history, anthropology, psychology, the sciences, etc.).
For additional help, check out the course website.
Prepared
by Anne Knop, Senior Associate Professor of Philosophy,
