Plato’s Apology is a drama based on the trial and execution of Socrates, a philosopher of the time. Although this scenario was likely dramatized by Plato, it is a captivating story of tyranny, psychology, and a question of justice. The work begins by going through the trial while Socrates pleads his case and his opponent, Meletus, slanders Socrates. Meletus’ case is that Socrates is suggesting and preaching to young and naive minds that they become atheists. Of course, this is not true at all. If you know anything about Socrates, you should understand he was a religious man. He just didn’t quite agree with the standard view of the Greek gods.
Socrates clearly has the winning argument, he can articulate his points better, and he seems to make perfect sense while busting Meletus' myths. But that is the view of the readers of the drama. The jury found Socrates guilty anyway.
The jury clearly already had a notion of who Socrates was long before his trial; they were already persuaded by the gossip coming from those, who, like Meletus, did not care for Socrates. This completely proves one of the points Socrates himself often preached. You are most knowledgeable by acknowledging that you know nothing. This is a stand against arrogance and pridefulness. To act this way is to want knowledge for knowledge's sake, to understand you are not above others, and to enjoy the adventure that comes with the concept.
The jury assumed they understood Socrates as a person and sentenced him to death for their ignorance. However, it is not entirely the jury’s fault. During this Greek time period, the way a trial worked was that the person on trial would give themself a fitting punishment, and his opponent would as well. This most often balanced itself out, as Socrates might propose a fine, or a short term in prison, and Meletus would do the same. That way each hoped their proposal would be more likely picked. The jury always had to pick one of the two options. Socrates did not do this. He asked for free meals in a nice location as punishment for his crime, understanding his proposal would never be picked by the jury, and Meletus proposed the death penalty.
This is obviously not how this is supposed to work, but it is how it went, so Socrates took the death penalty and didn’t really mind in the end. Ultimately, he stood for what he believed, knowing it would make a positive impact on the world, and he looked at death as an exciting adventure. He found peace in the fact that he did not uselessly martyr himself. He was effective, and he was ready to move on to the next adventure. He was always full of truth, goodness, and beauty. Even though the concept of the transcendentals did not exist yet, he always unknowingly held himself to that standard, and found peace through it.
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