<P> Plato then supposes that one prisoner is freed . This prisoner would look around and see the fire . The light would hurt his eyes and make it difficult for him to see the objects casting the shadows . If he were told that what he is seeing is real instead of the other version of reality he sees on the wall , he would not believe it . In his pain , Plato continues , the freed prisoner would turn away and run back to what he is accustomed to ( that is , the shadows of the carried objects ) . He writes `` ... it would hurt his eyes , and he would escape by turning away to the things which he was able to look at , and these he would believe to be clearer than what was being shown to him . '' </P>
in the allegory of the cave what did seeing the light do to the prisoner
hurt his eyes