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From "Symposium" by Plato
Alcibiades
A prominent Athenian statesman and military leader, known for his charisma and his controversial behavior.
Core Belief
"Personal glory and political power are the ultimate goals, even if they require compromising one's principles."
Worldview
Alcibiades sees the world as a stage for his own ambitions, where success and recognition are the only measures of worth. He is cynical and opportunistic, but also capable of genuine affection and admiration.
Personality
Charismatic, impulsive, and deeply conflicted, Alcibiades possesses great intelligence and ambition but struggles with self-control. He is drawn to Socrates' wisdom but ultimately unable to embrace a life of virtue.
In Their Own Words
"Hail, friends, he said, appearing at the door crowned with a massive garland of ivy and violets, his head flowing with ribands. 'Will you have a very drunken man as a companion of your revels? Or shall I crown Agathon, which was my intention in coming, and go away?"
"By Heracles, he said, what is this? here is Socrates always lying in wait for me, and always, as his way is, coming out at all sorts of unsuspected places: and now, what have you to say for yourself, and why are you lying here, where I perceive that you have contrived to find a place, not by a joker or lover of jokes, like Aristophanes, but by the fairest of the company?"
"I am going to speak the truth, if you will permit me."
Discussions with Alcibiades
Other Characters from Symposium
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