An analysis of Protagoras’ great speech in Plato’s ‘Protagoras’

What is it about?

Much of this article is given over to an analysis of the stylistic and rhetorical techniques employed by Plato’s Protagoras. While the speech is replete with all manner of oratorical wizardry, it is noteworthy that Protagoras does not actually mention rhetoric even though he is talking about what he teaches. To explain this mismatch I look to the contrast between speechifying and short-answer dialect and arge that Plato is at pains to show how Protagoras’ long speeches allow him to evade accountability.

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Why is it important?

Although it has long been noticed that Protagoras neglects rhetoric in his speech, as far as I know there has not been any serious attempt to analyse the stylistic aspects of this masterful speech. Accordingly, both this and (to a large extent) my attempt to interpret it within the economy of the dialogue are original.