- One of the prisoners then escapes from their bindings and leaves the cave. He is shocked at the world he discovers outside the cave and does not believe it can be real.
- As he becomes used to his new surroundings, he realises that his former view of reality was wrong. He begins to understand his new world and sees that the Sun is the source of life and goes on the intellectual journey where he discovers beauty and meaning.
- He sees that his former life, and the guessing game they played is useless.
Note
The escaped prisoner represents the Philosopher, who seeks knowledge outside of the cave and outside of the senses. The Sun represents philosophical truth and knowledge. His intellectual journey represents a philosopher’s journey when finding truth and wisdom.