About The Apology
What it's about
On trial for his life, Socrates explains why an oracle called him the wisest man in Athens, refuses to stop questioning people even to save himself, and, once condemned, calmly tells the jury why death is nothing to fear.
Who it's for
Anyone starting philosophy from the very beginning, and readers who know the line 'the unexamined life is not worth living' and want to see where it comes from.
- Level
- CEFR B2
- Length
- 3 parts · about 984 words
- Reading time
- about 8 minutes (~3 min per part)
- Author
- Plato
If you liked this, read
- Meditations · B2
- The Analects · B2
- The Enchiridion · B2
Looking for something easier or harder? See Easy English books by level (A1–B2).
Reading The Apology in English: quick answers
- What English level is The Apology on SeoJae Story?
- The Apology by Plato is retold in simplified English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate). It is split into 3 short parts, and every sentence has a Korean translation you can show or hide, so a learner at that level can follow the story without a dictionary.
- Is The Apology hard to read in English?
- The original is written for native readers, with long sentences and older vocabulary, so most learners find it hard. This retelling keeps the story but uses simpler English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate), so if you read English at that level you can follow it, and the Korean translation is there for any line that stops you. If it feels too hard, start with an easier book one level down.
- How long does it take to read The Apology in simple English?
- About 8 minutes of reading in total — roughly 3 minutes per part across 3 parts. Listening to the audio narration, reviewing the vocabulary and taking each part's comprehension check adds a little more.
- Is this the full, unabridged text of The Apology?
- No. It is an abridged graded retelling written for English learners that follows the story of the original in 3 parts. Every part also lets you read the matching unabridged chapters from the original, split into short readings.
- Is The Apology free to read here?
- Yes. All 3 parts are free to read online, with the Korean translation, audio narration, vocabulary flashcards and comprehension questions included.
- Is The Apology in the public domain?
- Yes. Plato's The Apology is in the public domain, and the original text is freely available from Project Gutenberg (eBook #1656). SeoJae Story's simplified retelling and Korean translation are original text written for learners.