I don’t know. I think of mythology as a whole set of false stories. Human life is coherent enough. There are lots of ways of talking about the – absolute – however you put it, with true images, true pointers, natural – sacraments – One thing can stand for another, that’s as deep as what’s deepest. People have always known this.

ACASTOS not expecting an answer

So it’s about what ordinary people can believe? It couldn’t just be a secret – No, of course not.

SOCRATES

Your Good, your sun, your holy light shining from outside existent being and yet also emerging from deep inside the soul. Aren’t these mythological pictures? Would you say it’s as if this were so?

PLATO visibly tiring now

Not as if. Learning and loving just are like that!

SOCRATES

One way of describing the world, perhaps, not an obvious one?

PLATO

When you see things in that light –

SOCRATES

Another metaphor.

TIMONAX

Give up Plato, you’re cornered!

SOCRATES

I don’t think he’s cornered!

PLATO making a new move

It’s got to be like that otherwise we won’t survive. The spirit must have something absolute, otherwise it goes crazy. Only religion can carry us through the – horrors – of the future –

SOCRATES

That’s a different point. We’ve had plenty of horrors in the recent past – you think there are more to come?

PLATO

Yes.

SOCRATES

Then your ‘ground of things’, your ‘it must be so’, is really ‘I want it to be so’, it’s a cry of fear?

PLATO

No –

SOCRATES

Perhaps you yourself are being too absolute. Religion naturally uses myth and art. These things too are instinctive, and perhaps religion will look after itself better than you imagine. You spoke of beauty – ritual is art, and art is the celebration of beauty. You say we’re not gods. But you expect us as thinkers to clarify these things which must perhaps always be mysterious and even fundamentally muddled. You say spirit must have absolute. Perhaps we are now entering a time when spirit cannot have any absolute.

PLATO

Oh – no – but it will be different later?

SOCRATES

Who knows what will happen later [ pause ]. I like what you say, I love what you say and I love you as you say it.

PLATO

Don’t you love me all the time?

SOCRATES

Yes, but especially in this. Now I want you to go on –

PLATO

I can’t go on!

SOCRATES

My dear good clever boy, now just try quietly to tell us –

Enter Alcibiades drunk, supported by the servant. Alcibiades puts on a ‘camp’ manner, but must be seen to be a tough dominating figure, a soldier and a leader. He could be wearing some sort of uniform.

ALCIBIADES

Socrates! I’ve been looking for you all over. Darling!

SOCRATES obviously pleased to see him

Alcibiades, come in, sit down. [ To Antagoras ] May he join us?

Antagoras makes a helpless humorous gesture.