ANNE-MARIE BOWERYto pleasure and the good (348c– 362a). Unlike the Euthydemus, the Pro-
tagoras has no enacted conversation at its end. As a result, the audience
cannot see the effect that Socrates’ narrative has on his friend.
Socrates presents himself as a trustworthy narrator.^31 Though
Socrates’ narrative commentary tapers off after 348c, prior to that
point, he offers even more narrative commentar y than he has offered in
the preceding dialogues. He describes the setting of the narrated events
and the characters within the dialogue. Socrates reports on his state of
mind as he does in the preceding dialogues (328d, 331e, 335d– e, 339e).
He also tells how Protagoras responds to him and how the people pres-
ent at Callias’ house respond to each speaker.^32 As a narrator, Socrates
calls attention to the interactive dimensions of listening to an oral per-
formance like a sophistic speech or a philosophical narrative. He implic-
itly asks his narrative audience to become conscious of their responses
to his narrative. In this way, Plato uses Socrates’ role as a narrator to call
our attention to the narrative process itself. This increased commentary
on the performative dimensions of the characters’ speeches within the
dialogue adds to the Protagoras’ narrative complexity.
The Euthydemus’ narrative structure is elaborately crafted. The
dialogue begins with an enacted conversation between Socrates and a
friend. This time, the friend is named; he is Crito.^33 As in the Protagoras,
the dialogue begins with the friend asking Socrates a question about a
recent encounter (271a– 272d). Though we do not know where or when
their conversation takes place, we know it occurs the day after the events
he will soon narrate (271a). We also know that the narrated events take
place in the Lyceum in Athens, probably in the 430s. Socrates’ narrative
commentary remains a consistent presence throughout the dialogue.
Socrates appears confi dent in his narrative ability. He tells Crito, “I can’t
pretend that I did not pay attention for I certainly did” (272d), and he
underscores his confi dence soon after: “I remember it well and will try
to tell you the whole story from the beginning” (283a).^34 The dialogue’s
intricately nested structure, the fact that it shifts between the temporal-
ity of the conversation between Crito and Socrates and the temporality
of Socrates’ narrative, calls continuous attention to Socrates’ narrative
activity.
Socrates begins: “I was sitting by myself in the undressing room
just where you saw me and was already thinking of leaving. But when I
got up, my customary divine sign put in an appearance, so I sat down
again” (272e). He then narrates his encounter with Euthydemus, Dio-
nysodorus, Clinias, and Ctesippus: “The entire company of men pres-
ent in the Lyceum besought the pair to demonstrate the power of their
wisdom” (274d). Socrates carefully recounts the sophistic exchange. He