Abstract: Plato's Republic is both a philosophical and a literary text. Plato had kept revising the opening of The Republic till the end of his life. The Republic has a structure of dual narrative, with the man called "I" also playing a double role in this book. The time, the place, the order of appearance and the unfolding of the events all correspond to the theme. The genre of dialogue and narrative saves this philosophical text from being trapped too deep into the metaphysical mire, but too many symbolic metaphors make the interpretation of the text an attempt to solve mysteries. Thus, prudential reading and restrained interpretation may more align to the style of Platon's philosophy.

Key words: The Republic, narrative, situation, metaphor