the Allegory of the Cave in Maleficent - Essay Sample

It introduces the theme of the Allegory of the Cave as related to the philosophical context of human nature and the quest for learning the truth. In essence, people in the cave are like prisoners, enchained together, and they do not know any life other than being enchained. However, upon learning the world outside, they change forever.

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Formulate a Thesis Statement (Argument)

Once enlightened the characters in the film, like the escaped prisoners, have to eventually make a choice regarding his or her new knowledge of reality and the world, and thus they are in a position to remain in the dark or vow to see and be the light.

II Explanation/Justification of the Thesis Statement (Argument)

First point.

Maleficent lives in a cave where he trusts and loves Prince Stefan. She has no doubt of his trust until he betrays her, which changes her forever and in a negative way that she curses Princess Aurora.

Second point.

Maleficent has painted the villain in the movie until she starts developing motherly love to Princess Aurora and she finally breaks the curse out of true love. Princess Aurora finds out only Maleficent truly love her, Stefan does not.

III Conclusion

Summary of points made in I and II above.

Maleficent has been living in a love cave, not knowing life beyond love. She is betrayed, and this enlightens her. Princess Aurora learns that Maleficent is not the bad witch, rather, she is the only one who loves her.

Include your position on the issue (agree/disagree?)

I agree with Kupperman (2010), Pojman and Vaughn (2014) and Pojman (2006) that human nature seeks to be enlightened, and when a person learns of the truth, it changes them forever.

Allegory of the Cave and Enlightenment

Since the beginning of recorded history, scholars in both the philosophy and literature fields gives have sought to provide evidence that human nature is in constant search for true knowledge and enlightenment. Plato being of the scholars in philosophy, through his allegory of the cave provides one example that illustrates this point. Allegories can be considered as small stories that deal with big ideas and also help individuals reach a state of knowing the truth or being enlightened. In essence, being enlightened happens when a person learns about or finds something new that subsequently amazes or leaves you in horror, and a person may believe it to be true or not, but it changes your course of living. In essence, a person, through the experience is forced to see the real world and be enlightened by everything that happens about the experience. In an Allegory of the Cave, as Poojman (2006) points out, many prisoners live inside, with their feet and hands chained together to restrict their movement, and such that they cannot move their heads. There is fire behind them that casts shadows on the wall in front of them. Also, there is a walkway between them and the fire where guards can walk with objects that cast shadows for the prisoners to see and since they have been like this since birth, they do not know whether there is another world out there. For this reason, what can be derived from the Allegory of the Cave is that one has to find the truth or be enlightened to comprehend new concepts. However, upon being enlightened, you may not like what you have found out, but in a real sense, it is of your well-being. You can ignore or believe what you learned in the enlightenment process. It is hard to ignore, as it is hard to live in a dream world where you know the truth. Therefore, once the main character becomes enlightened, he or she has a choice, either to remain in the dark or seek the light.

As such, the Allegory of the Cave plays may roles, and it all depends on how a person interprets it, either by using it as a metaphor for quest for knowledge and the process of intellectual comprehension, or as a way of portraying parts of the political philosophy that involve the correct path to reality or goodness. Either way, one has to learn the truth, which significantly changes them altogether for the rest of their lives. For this reason, Platos Allegory of the Cave enables us to understand the process of how an individual becomes enlightened, including the negative and positive influences it can have, or the reaction responses that emanate from being freed from the chains and being forced to experience what was beyond the cave. One of the films that portray the story of Allegory of the Caves is Maleficent. Various individuals in the movie, including Maleficent, Princess Aurora and her father, King Stephan. In essence, once enlightened the characters in the movie, like the escaped prisoners, have to eventually make a choice regarding his or her new knowledge of reality and the world, and thus they are in a position to remain in the dark or vow to see and be the light.

Maleficent, which is 2014 American dark fantasy film, was directed by Stromberg stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley as King Stefan, and Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora who is the main characters and highlights the Allegory of the Cave and subsequent enlightenment in the film (Stromberg & Roth, 2014). Firstly, Stefan, when he was young, was a loving person to Maleficent, but his true intention is revealed when he betrays Maleficent. In essence, in the film, Maleficent is a powerful fairy who lives in a magical forest realm that borders a corrupt human kingdom referred to as the Moors. When she was young, Maleficent meets and falls in love with Stefan, who was a human peasant boy (Stromberg & Roth, 2014). They love each other very much that Stefan promises Maleficent that he will give her true loves kiss when she ages sixteen. As the film continues, the two are portrayed as lovers, and it is hard to imagine that one of theeem can be a betrayer. When it happens, it is very unexpected, both for Maleficent and the viewers. Stefans love for Maleficent is not big compared to his ambition to become a king in the neighboring human kingdom. As such, they grow apart as they grow older. Even so, both of the characters seem to follow a similar path, that of becoming leaders in their kingdoms.

While Stefan wants to become a King, Maleficent also intends to become the protector of the Moors. In the quest to become the king, Stefan craves for the position that he betrays Maleficent. However, that emanates from King Henrys orders that whoever kills Maleficent will be named as his successor, and subsequently marry her daughter, Princess Leila. The orders come after King Henry tries conquering the Moors, only for a grown Maleficent to avert the attack, and in the process wounding him. It is why he declares that Maleficent should be killed. In the quest of becoming the human king, Stefan seizes the opportunity and visit Maleficent with the aim of killing her, and in the process secure the position of being King Henrys successor. When Stefan visits Maleficent in the Moors, he drugs her with the intention of killing her. However, he cannot kill her. However, his dream of becoming the king cannot be stopped. It is for this reason that he uses an iron to burn off Maleficents wings to ascend to the human kingdom throne. He presents the wings to King Henry as evidence of him killing her. Upon waking up, Maleficent finds herself wingless and instantly realizes that Stefan had betrayed her. It is for this reason that she declares herself the ruler of the Moors and subsequently forms a dark kingdom with Diaval. It is her plan that she has revenge. Essentially, Diaval is a raven to whom Maleficent gives a human shape and acts as her wings and spy.

As such, Maleficent has all along been imprisoned in a cave, and as Pojman (2006), articulates being in a cave prevents one from knowing the truth. For this reason, before Stefans betrayal, Maleficent had trust in Stefan, and she believed that he would never betray her. According to Kupperman (2010), it is implausible that human beings share a common nature in ways they act or think primarily because a person does not entirely share nature with herself or himself as of a year or two years ago. It is for this reason that Kupperman (2010) further articulates that people are in constant process of changing in various ways and the changes may be subtle though incremental. Also, the changes may also be noticeable only when they have reached a cumulative state. For this reason, Stefan evolved over time for the worse, at least with his relationship with Maleficent. He did not fulfill his promises, including kissing her on her sixteenth birthday. As such, not meeting the promises coupled with the betrayal highlights Stefans change. Maleficent after knowing the truth, or rather being enlightened, that Stefan is a liar and a betrayer, she changes for the worst. It is in support of the thesis that once enlightened maleficent, like the escaped prisoner, has to eventually make a choice regarding his or her new knowledge of reality and the world, and thus they can choose to remain in the dark or vow to see and be the light. She vows for sweet revenge against Stefan. It is clear that once she becomes enlightened, a course of life changes abruptly for the worst, which as Pojman and Vaughn (2014) assert, the truth is what sets a person free and what can only change human nature.

Diaval, performing the work assigned by Maleficent, spies on the human territory and notes that Stefan, after presenting his evidence to King Henry, had already been crowned king, married Princess Leila, who is now Queen Leila, and have a child, Princess Aurora.

Importantly, she cannot continue loving Stefan due to his betrayal, and she plans on a sweet revenge against him. In her quest to revenge after Stefans betrayal, she arrives uninvited at an event where King Stefan was christening his newborn, Princess Aurora. Maleficent curses Aurora that on her sixteenth birthday she will prick her finger and succumb to death like sleep, and she will never awaken ever again (Stromberg & Roth, 2014). However, King Stefan begs for mercy and Maleficent mock him by offering an antidote would be a true loves kiss. As such, if it were not for Stefans betrayal, Maleficent would not have imposed the curse on Princess Aurora. As such, Maleficents enlightenment made her wicked when she was previously a loving individual. As such, this highlights the need for seeking the truth, which is an inherent human nature characteristic.

Secondly, the movie also highlighted Maleficent as the villain. However, it can be understood that the enlightenment is what made her change for the worst. However, this is not for long. As the movie progresses, Maleficent starts spying on Princess Aurora to make sure that she reaches her eighteenth birthday, thereby fulfilling the curse. On the other hand, Stefan is on a quest to prevent the curse. However, even though Maleficent is painted the villain, once she meets Princess Aurora and watches her from afar, she starts developing motherly feelings for Aurora (Stromberg & Roth, 2014). Princess Aurora knows that she is being watched, and from this, she refers Maleficent as her fairy godmother. Maleficent, becomes fond of her and tries to revoke the curse, but she recalled that she had already said that no power on earth could revoke it, including hers. At the forest, Aurora meets Prince Phillip, and they also love each other. Maleficent invites Aurora in the Moors before the sixteenth birthday. However, the pixies she was living with tell her about Maleficents past and her true identity (Stromberg & Roth, 2014). For this reason, this is another form of cave Princess Aurora was living in, enchained not knowing what was beyond the cave. She had already viewed Maleficent as her fa...