ABSTRACT
In condemning the poets, Plato's protagonist seems to go out of his way to remind that his city is itself a poetic construction that cannot allow other poetic visions to enter its imaginary gates. For Plato, true tragedy always ends happily. As a drama of the good and noble life, it portrays a realm where ethical conflicts are overcome, where linguistic transparency reigns, and where human happiness is said to be invulnerable to the contingency and misfortunes of life. In this respect, Plato's true tragedy is undoubtedly antitragic. In depicting this antitragic drama in the Republic, Plato represents Socrates representing the good and noble life. For instance, the familar patterns of death and knowledge are given figurative shape in the narrative structure of Plato's allegory of the cave. Plato's representation of Socrates' art must unveil, bring to presence, and make apparent the nonrepresentational realm of the forms.
