Ever since the Greek philosopher Plato banished them from his ideal community, poets like Sir Philip Sidney have attempted to defend their work by arguing that poetry and His use of language combines the liveliness of history and the ethical focus of philosophy and at the same time stimulates readers to virtue. Plato believed that poets aroused unworthy emotions that departed from reason and logic, making poetry unnecessary and perhaps harmful to the stability of his harmonious society. However, Sir Philip Sidney persuasively combats these widespread claims against poetry's legitimacy by arguing that poetry can be used as a guide to morality and virtue in his piece The Defense of Poesy. In particular, Sidney focuses on two of these controversies: “First of all, there are many other fruitful acquaintances in which a man might better spend his time in them than in this. [And] Secondly, that she is the mother of lies” (967). As Sydney addresses her responses to each of these statements within this piece, most significantly, she uses the characterization of Astrophil in Astrophil and Stella and the comedic elements of the Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia to exemplify her belief that the meaning of fiction lies in its ability to imitate reality by teaching virtue. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Astrophil and Stella, Sidney uses Astrophil's characterization and his progression through the sonnets to reveal the virtuous lesson behind the piece. For most of the work, Astrophil is obsessed with Stella's beauty and his inability to make her fall in love with him. He reveals the source of his regret when he states, "Oh me, I could, / And then I would not, or could not, see my bliss: / Till now, wrapped in a hellish night / I find how heavenly the day is, miserable, I missed him” (Sonnet 33 ll. 1-3). Sidney emphasizes the importance of Astrophil's missed opportunity to make Stella fall in love with him before she married another man because this is the initial event that led to Astrophil to his current state of misery. The fault lies entirely with Astrophil because he did not realize her love until it was too late, yet he still pines for her and immorally hopes that she will compromise her own virtue for his pleasure It is only when Stella openly rejects Astrophil that he comes to the rational realization that his dreams will never come true. His love for her has been sinful from the beginning and not even Stella's affection for him can undo Astrophil's initial mistake. The moral lesson that Astrophil learns in Astrophil and Stella exemplifies the kind of learning that Sidney claims only poetry can teach in The Defense of Poesy. The first charge that Sidney rejects in his response to the charges against poetry is that there is more “fruitful knowledge” (967) to be learned than poetry. Sidney argues in response to this statement that “no learning is so good as that which teaches and prompts virtue; and none can teach and move as much as poetry” (967). While history and philosophy are important aspects of education, Sidney believes that the emotional response involved in poetry inspires real learning that cannot be acquired elsewhere. By connecting with the character of Astrophil, the reader has the ability to put themselves in his position and learn not only rationally but also emotionally from his own mistakes. Although Astrophil must live with his remorse indefinitely, Sidney reveals that readers have the ability to.