Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2012
Abstract
In the Harry Potter novel series, by J. K. Rowling, the character of Lord Voldemort is the dictatorial ruler of the Death Eaters and aspiring despot of the entire wizarding community. As such, he serves as an apt subject for the application of Plato’s portrait of the tyrant in Republic IX. The process of applying Plato to Voldemort, however, leads to an apparent anomaly, the resolution of which requires that we move beyond the Republic to the account of beauty presented by Plato in the Symposium. In doing so, we shall find that while Plato can help us to understand Voldemort, Voldemort can also help us to attain a deeper understanding of Plato.
Repository Citation
Smith, Anne Collins and Smith, Owen M., "Voldemort Tyrannos: Plato’s Tyrant in the Republic and the Wizarding World" (2012). Faculty Publications. 1.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/multidisciplinary_facultypubs/1
Comments
"Voldemort Tyrannos: Plato's Tyrant in the Republic and the Wizarding World" in Reason Papers 34.1, June 2012. Co-authored with Owen Smith.