WhenThrasymachushasbeensilenced，thetwoprincipalrespondents，GlauconandAdeimantus，appearonthescene：here，asinGreektragedy，threeactorsareintroduced。AtfirstsightthetwosonsofAristonmayseemtowearafamilylikeness，likethetwofriendsSimmiasandCebesinthePhaedo。Butonanearerexaminationofthemthesimilarityvanishes，andtheyareseentobedistinctcharacters。Glauconistheimpetuousyouthwhocan\"justneverhaveenoughoffechting\"（cf。thecharacterofhiminXen。Mem。iii。6）；
themanofpleasurewhoisacquaintedwiththemysteriesoflove；
the\"juvenisquigaudetcanibus，\"andwhoimprovesthebreedofanimals；theloverofartandmusicwhohasalltheexperiencesofyouthfullife。Heisfullofquicknessandpenetration，piercingeasilybelowtheclumsyplatitudesofThrasymachustotherealdifficulty；heturnsouttothelighttheseamysideofhumanlife，andyetdoesnotlosefaithinthejustandtrue。ItisGlauconwhoseizeswhatmaybetermedtheludicrousrelationofthephilosophertotheworld，towhomastateofsimplicityis\"acityofpigs，\"whoisalwayspreparedwithajestwhentheargumentoffershimanopportunity，andwhoiseverreadytosecondthehumorofSocratesandtoappreciatetheridiculous，whetherintheconnoisseursofmusic，orintheloversoftheatricals，orinthefantasticbehaviorofthecitizensofdemocracy。HisweaknessesareseveraltimesalludedtobySocrates，who，however，willnotallowhimtobeattackedbyhisbrotherAdeimantus。Heisasoldier，and，likeAdeimantus，hasbeendistinguishedatthebattleofMegara。
ThecharacterofAdeimantusisdeeperandgraver，andtheprofounderobjectionsarecommonlyputintohismouth。Glauconismoredemonstrative，andgenerallyopensthegame。Adeimantuspursuestheargumentfurther。Glauconhasmoreofthelivelinessandquicksympathyofyouth；Adeimantushasthematurerjudgmentofagrown—upmanoftheworld。Inthesecondbook，whenGlauconinsiststhatjusticeandinjusticeshallbeconsideredwithoutregardtotheirconsequences，Adeimantusremarksthattheyareregardedbymankindingeneralonlyforthesakeoftheirconsequences；andinasimilarveinofreflectionheurgesatthebeginningofthefourthbookthatSocratesfallsinmakinghiscitizenshappy，andisansweredthathappinessisnotthefirstbutthesecondthing，notthedirectaimbuttheindirectconsequenceofthegoodgovernmentofaState。Inthediscussionaboutreligionandmythology，Adeimantusistherespondent，butGlauconbreaksinwithaslightjest，andcarriesontheconversationinalightertoneaboutmusicandgymnastictotheendofthebook。ItisAdeimantusagainwhovolunteersthecriticismofcommonsenseontheSocraticmethodofargument，andwhorefusestoletSocratespasslightlyoverthequestionofwomenandchildren。
ItisAdeimantuswhoistherespondentinthemoreargumentative，asGlauconinthelighterandmoreimaginativeportionsoftheDialogue。Forexample，throughoutthegreaterpartofthesixthbook，thecausesofthecorruptionofphilosophyandtheconceptionoftheideaofgoodarediscussedwithAdeimantus。ThenGlauconresumeshisplaceofprincipalrespondent；buthehasadifficultyinapprehendingthehighereducationofSocrates，andmakessomefalsehitsinthecourseofthediscussion。OncemoreAdeimantusreturnswiththeallusiontohisbrotherGlauconwhomhecomparestothecontentiousState；inthenextbookheisagainsuperseded，andGlauconcontinuestotheend。