Socrates . Questions Answers

 Lesson 4 . Socrates 

COMPREHENSION

Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow :

[A] Socrates lived..............honourable and just.

Q1: When and where did Socrates live?

Ans: Socrates lived in Athens about four hundred years before Jesus Christ was born.

 Q2: Describe physical appearance of Socrates?

Ans: Socrates was ugly, undersized and had a flat nose and bulging eyes. 

 Q3: Why was Socrates always shabbily dressed?

Ans: Socrates was always shabbily dressed because his father was a poor stone-cutter. 

 Q4: What were the most important lessons at school in those days?

Ans: The most important lessons at school in those days were music and gymnastics.

 Q5 : How do you know that Socrates was a thoughtful child?

Ans: Socrates was a thoughtful child because he watched his companions all the time and allowed very few things to escape his notice.

 Q6: What was the financial condition of Socrates's family?

Ans: The financial condition of Socrates’s family was not good.

 Q7: What did Socrates begin to think as he grew order?

Ans: As Socrates grew older he began to think very little of bodily comfort and pleasures. He gave his mind to all that was noble,honourable and just.

[B] Socrates went around ................ Socrates himself.

Q1 : How did people of Athens begin to recognize Socrates?

Ans: People of Athens began to recognize Socrates as a familiar figure. 

Q2 : Why did Socrates wander along streets and stand in market places?

Ans: Socrates wandered along the streets and stood in the market places to talk to the people who greeted him.

 Q3 : Why should man use his reason, according to Socrates?

Ans: According to Socrates by using his reason , man would have the power to see what was right, just, true and beautiful. 

 Q4 : What changes occured in Socrates' life as he grew older?

Ans: When Socrates grew older, he began to think very little of bodily comfort and pleasure. He began to think about what is noble, honourable and just. 

 Q5: Who was Plato?

Ans: Plato was a pupil of Socrates. He treasured every word which his master uttered.

[C] But although.................shabby garments.

Q1: What did Socrates teach people?

Ans: Socrates taught that man’s own mind influences his conduct more than the gods.

 Q2: Why did some people find Socrates's ideas to be wicked?

Ans: Some people found Socrates’ ideas to be wicked because they thought that he was leading the young astray.

 Q3: What did Socrates' friends beg him to do?

Ans: Socrates's friends begged him to escape or to hide until the storm had blown over.

 Q4 : Why did Socrates not escape?

Ans: Socrates was not coward so he did not escape.

Q5 : How can you say that Socrates was not a coward ? 

Ans: When Socrates’ friends begged him to escape or to hide, he did not escape. So we can say that he was not a coward.

 Q6 : Why did people love and respect Socrates despite his shabby dress?

Ans: Despite Socrates’ shabby dress, people loved and respected him for his noble heart.

[D] He made a............. our lives as orphans.

Q1: What did Socrates tell the Athenians?

Ans: Socrates told the Athenians that they would gain nothing by taking away the last few years of his life, but that he was willing to die many deaths for what he believed to be right. 

 Q2 : How did the judge punish Socrates? 

Ans: The judge listened to him, questioned him and condemned him to death. 

 Q3 : Why did Socrates make no complaint?

Ans: Socrates made no complaint because he believed no evil can happen to a good man either in life or after death.. 

 Q4 : What did Socrates say to his pupil after the judgement?

Ans: Socrates told his pupils, “No evil can happen to a good man either in life or after death. So be of good cheer.” His time of departure had come. He taught them many good lessons.

 

 Q5 : What did Plato write about Socrates’ death ?

Ans: Plato wrote, “ He was like a father of whom we were being bereaved and we were about to pass the rest of our lives as orphans.”

 Q6 : Who all followed Socrates when he was taken to the prison?

Ans: When Socrates was taken to the prison, his wife with his three children and many of his favourite pupils followed him. 

[E] After the sun............... sound of weeping.

Q1 : Who asked Socrates to be prepared for death?

Ans: The jailor asked Socrates to be prepared for death.

 Q2 : How were people punished with death penalty in Athens? 

Ans: A cup of poison was given to drink to the people who were punished with death penalty in Athens. 

 Q3 : What did the jailor say to Socrates?

Ans: The jailor told Socrates that he was the noblest, gentlest and best of all who ever came to that place.

 Q4 : What did Socrates say as he lifted the cup of poison to his lips?

Ans: As Socrates lifted the cup of poison to his lips, he said, “May the Gods prosper my journey from this to the other world.”

 Q5 : How did his pupils react when Socrates was poisoned?

Ans: When Socrates was poisoned, one of his pupils sobbed aloud, then others also wept bitterly. 

[F] Socrates paused........... Greeks was dead.

Q1 : What did Socrates say to his pupils when they were weeping badly?

Ans: When Socrates’ pupils were weeping badly he told them to be silent and have patience. 

 Q2 : What did Socrates ask Crito to do?

Ans: Socrates asked Crito to pay his debt to Aesculapius. 

 Q3 : What did Crito reply?

Ans: Crito replied, “It shall be paid.”

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1 : When and where did Socrates live?

Ans: Socrates lived in Athens about four hundred years before Jesus Christ was born.

 Q2 : What did Socrates' father do?

Ans: Socrates' father was a stone-cutter. 

 Q3 : What did Socrates learn at school?

Ans: Socrates learned music and gymnastics. He also learned some science, mathematics and a little about the stars at school.

 

 Q4 : How did Socrates watch his companions?

Ans: Socrates watched his companions all the time and allowed very few things to escape his notice. 

 Q5 : What did Socrates begin to think as he grew older?

Ans: As Socrates grew older he began to think very little of bodily comfort and pleasure. He gave his mind to all that was noble,honourable and just. 

 Q6 : What made Socrates famous?

Ans: He went round the town on foot and talked to people. He wanted Athens to be a perfect state. These ideas made him famous.

 Q7 : What did Socrates teach people?

Ans: Socrates taught people that everyone must learn to think for himself because by using his reason, he would have the power to see what was right, true and beautiful.

Q8 : Why did Socrates wander in streets and market places?

Ans: Socrates wandered in streets and market places to talk to people who greeted him. 

 Q9 : Who was Plato?

Ans: Plato was Socrates’ pupil. He treasured every word which his master uttered. 

Q10 : What was Socrates accused of ?

Ans: Socrates was accused of misleading the young people of his country.

Q11 : What did Socrates’ friends advise him when he was summoned to court?

Ans: When Socrates was summoned to court, his friends advised him to escape or to hide until the storm had blown away.

Q12 : Why did Socrates not escape?

Ans: Socrates did not escape because he was not a coward. He thought that he was right in his teachings.

Q13 : Who made a powerful and dignified speech in the court?

Ans: Socrates made a powerful and dignified speech in the court. 

Q14 : What punishment was given to Socrates?

Ans: Socrates was condemned to death.

Q15 : How did Socrates react to the punishment given to him?

Ans: Socrates made no complaint to the punishment given to him.

Q16 : Why was the jailor sad ?

Ans: The jailor was sad because he was going to give Socrates a cup of poison to drink.

Q17 : Who was Crito? What did Socrates request Crito?

Ans: Crito was the pupil of Socrates. He requested Crito to pay his debt to Aesculapius.

Q18 : How was the death sentence carried out in Athens?

Ans: A cup of poison was given to drink to the people who were condemned to death in Athens. 

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1: Who was Socrates? Describe his physical appearance and financial condition. 

Ans: Socrates was a famous philosopher of Athens. He was born four hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ. 

As a boy he was ugly, undersized and had a flat nose and bulging eyes. He was always rather shabbily dressed. 

His father was a poor stone-cutter. He did not have a big house or fine furniture. He did not seem to want either wealth or beautiful possessions. In short we can say that his financial condition was not good.

Q2 : What did Socrates teach people? Why did he become famous?

Ans: Socrates was a famous philosopher of Athens. He went round the town on foot and talked to people. He taught the people to use their reasoning power. They must know what is right, just, true and beautiful. 

He wanted Athens to be a perfect state. He advised every citizen to educate his own mind to see what is right and noble. He believed that questioning and discussing would help them do this. So he was talking to them forever in the open streets. 

Socrates became famous because he chose the streets for talking to people. He would question them, argue with them and then would leave them to think for themselves. His fame  spread far and wide. Many people gathered around him and followed him whenever he went. 

Q3 : Why were Socrates' ideas considered wicked?

Ans: Socrates told his countrymen that everyone must learn to think for himself. But some people did not approve of Socrates. Some of Socrates’s teachings created confusion in their mind. Socrates taught that 

man’s own mind influences his conduct more than the Gods. Socrates said that there were higher and nobler deeds than making sacrifices to Gods - Athena and other Gods of Greece.

 Many people thought that he was misleading the young astray by filling their minds with doubts. So his teaching seemed to be new and wicked.

Q4 : What happened with Socrates in the court?

Ans: People of Athens thought that Socrates was misleading the young astray. He filled their mind with doubt by questioning them. 

Socrates was summoned to appear before the court and stand his trial. He was fearless. Despite the advice of his friends to escape or hide ,  he went to the court. 

Socrates made an influential and dignified speech. He told them that they would gain nothing by taking away the last few years of his life. 

The judge listened to him, questioned him and  condemned him to death. The old man was not disturbed in the least. He was willing to die many deaths for what he believed to be right.

Q5 : How did Socrates react to the judgement?

Ans: Socrates told everyone that Athens could be a perfect state if every citizen educated his own mind to see what was right and noble. People could not understand his purpose. Some of them did not approve of his teaching.

Socrates was summoned to appear before the court and to stand his trial. He made a powerful and dignified speech there . He told the Athenians that they would gain nothing by taking away the last few years of his life. He was willing to die many deaths for what he believed to be right. The judge listened to him, questioned him and condemned him to death but the old man made no complaint.

Q6 : Who was Plato? How do you know that he loved Socrates?

Ans: Plato was a favourite pupil of Socrates. He treasured every word which his master spoke. He himself became a famous teacher later on. When Socrates wandered along the roads and stood in the market places, Plato and his other pupils gathered around him and followed him wherever he went. 

When the judge summoned him to court, Plato and his other pupils were there in the court all the time. And when soldiers took Socrates away to prison, he was also with him. In the last when Socrates lifted the  cup of poison to his lips, Plato and other pupils wept bitterly. 

We know that Plato loved Socrates because he wrote, “he was like a father of whom we were being bereaved and we were about to pass the rest of our lives as orphans.”

Q7 : How and why was Socrates condemned to death?

Ans: There were some people who did not approve of Socrates. Some of his teachings created confusion in their mind. Socrates taught that man’s own mind influences his conduct more than the gods. Socrates 

said that there were higher and nobler deeds than making sacrifices to goddess Athena and other gods of Greece. Many people thought that he was leading the young astray by filling their minds with doubts. His teachings seemed to be new and wicked. 

The men who were governing Athens summoned Socrates to appear before them to stand his trial. The judge listened to Socrates , questioned him and finally  sentenced him to death.Socrates made no complaint. He leaned on his stick and said, “No evil can happen to a good man either in life or after death, so be of good cheer. I have to go.”