The Republic, Book 3 summary

What happens

1. The speakers reject frightening accounts of death and portrayals of excessive grief or laughter in gods and heroes.
2. They reserve useful lying for rulers and reject stories that encourage disobedience, uncontrolled desire, greed, or impiety.
3. They postpone rules about portraying human happiness and injustice until they establish what justice is and how it benefits its possessor.
4. The narrator distinguishes direct narration, imitation, and mixed storytelling, then argues that guardians should imitate only worthy conduct.
5. They exclude versatile performers from the State and choose stricter storytellers who present virtuous models.
6. With Glaucon, the narrator retains Dorian and Phrygian harmonies, limits instruments, and asks for rhythms that express disciplined living.

In this book

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