The “bodily eye” relies on sensory perceptions about the world in order to determine what is reality. Metaphorically speaking, the cave is a physical world filled with imperfect images. This world is filled with distorted images about reality.

Inside the cave, the prisoners believe that the shadows they see on the wall are actual reality. Their “bodily eye” tells them that this world is real because their senses perceive so. Plato suggests that the senses do not perceive actual truth.

The “mind’s eye” is not active inside the cave because the prisoners are imprisoned in this distorted world, which they believe is reality. When one prisoner is pulled out of the cave and into the light, it is this sudden freedom that starts the grad

By using the same word, “eye,” to refer to both, Plato is suggesting that there is a connection between the two. Both eyes are used to perceive what is supposed to be reality, but the two see completely different worlds. For instance, inside the cave the prisoner uses his “bodily eye” to see the world of shadow “puppets”. He truly believes that these shadows are complete reality because his “bodily eye” tells him so. When he is released from the cave, he uses his “mind’s eye” to see the sun, moon, stars, and water. It is then that he realizes that these objects are true reality. The “bodily eye” sees the imperfect world, and the “mind’s eye” sees the real, perfect world.

An allegory is “a story in which the characters and situations actually represent people and situations in another context” (276). Plato chose this device because it simplifies a difficult to grasp subject. “Bodily eye” and “mind’s eye” represents figurative language used in describing the two worlds; the world of sense perception and the world of ideal entities. A transition from the world of sense perception into the world of ideal entities happens when one is enlightened somehow. In the allegory, this e

Some topics in this essay:
Allegory Cave”, “bodily eye”, “mind’s eye”, inside cave, world filled, inside cave prisoners, , reality “bodily eye”, reality “bodily, perfect world, imperfect world, distorted images, world sense, cave prisoners, world ideal entities, real perfect world, perception world ideal,