The Eiron (symbol)
In Greek comedy, the Eiron was a figure who was secretly smarter than the other characters, but who played the buffoon, in order to trick the other characters into revealing their own stupidity. Socrates' "ironic" statements—that rhetoricians should run to the courts and accuse themselves, for example—would immediately identify him as the Eiron to a Greek audience.
The Alazon (symbol)
The Alazon is the opposite of the Eiron in Greek comedy. He was typically a character who bragged and dramatically overestimated his own strength and intelligence. Much of the comedy consisted of the Eiron humiliating the Alazon. All of the interlocutors in Gorgias might be considered the Alazon, but the description fits Callicles particularly well.
The Judgment of Naked Souls (allegory)
The judgment of naked souls is an allegory, or a symbolic story, that Plato attaches to the end of Gorgias. The idea of a judgment that strips away everything inessential, and that makes judgments about the essences of things, is an allegory for philosophy, and the judgment of the individual over himself. Socrates deliberately uses religious imagery to describe philosophy to underline the way that "worldly" people like Gorgias and Callicles find this notion foolish.
The Pitiful Tyrant (motif)
The pitiful tyrant is a recurring motif in Plato's dialogues. In the Republic, Socrates considers Gyges, who wears an invisible ring and can kill or sleep with anyone at will. The notion of a king who can do whatever he wants without fear of retribution allows us to imagine someone who can satisfy all of their desires at a whim. Socrates believes that this person would be deeply unhappy, whereas his interlocutors usually believe that the existence of such a person is proof that most people only do good because they are punished.
The Tricky Slave (motif)
The tricky slave was another recurring motif in Greek comedy, who often caused headaches for his masters with his impudent behavior. Though the dialogue does not emphasize the point too much, it would have been clear to Plato's readers and listeners that Socrates is penniless, while his interlocutors are quite wealthy. Socrates is a nobody, while they rub elbows with the wealthiest and most successful people in Athens. The class aspect of the dialogue underlines Plato's and Socrates' view that it is the eternal truths of philosophy, and not wealth or social recognition, that matter.
