49–50
Protarchus
Pro. Certainly it is ridiculous.
Socrates
Soc. And do we not agree that ignorance is in itself a misfortune?
Protarchus
Pro. Yes, a great one.
Socrates
Soc. And do we feel pleasure or pain when we laugh at it?
25
Protarchus
Pro. Pleasure, evidently.
Socrates
Soc. Did we not say that pleasure in the misfortunes of friends was caused by envy?
Protarchus
Pro. There can be no other cause.
Socrates
Soc. Then our argument declares that when we laugh at the ridiculous qualities of our friends, we mix pleasure with pain, since we mix it with envy; for we have agreed all along that envy is a pain of the soul, and that laughter is a pleasure, yet these two are present at the same time on such occasions.
Socrates
Soc. So now our argument shows that in mournings and tragedies and comedies, not merely on the stage, but in all the tragedy and comedy of life, and in countless other ways, pain is mixed with pleasure.
Protarchus
Pro. It is impossible not to agree with that, Socrates, even though one be most eager to maintain the opposite opinion.
Socrates
Soc. Again we mentioned anger, yearning, mourning, love, jealousy, envy, and the like, as conditions in which we should find a mixture of the two elements we have now often named, did we not?
Socrates
Soc. And we understand that all the details I have been describing just now are concerned only with sorrow and envy and anger?
10
Protarchus
Pro. Of course we understand that.
Socrates
Soc. Then there are still many others of those conditions left for us to discuss.
Protarchus
Pro. Yes, very many.