Passage Summary: There is a major contradiction between an early play's depiction of Socrates as a godless scientist and later accounts that describe him as a deeply religious man focused on ethics.

Reasoning: Aristophanes' play, written during Socrates' mid-forties, depicts him as an atheist scientist, while all other accounts written after his death at age 70 depict him as a religious and ethical thinker.

Analysis: To resolve this paradox, we need a piece of information that explains why these two versions of Socrates are so different. One possibility is that Socrates underwent a significant personal or philosophical transformation between his mid-forties and his death at seventy. Another possibility is that Aristophanes, as a playwright, had a specific motive to misrepresent Socrates for comedic or satirical effect. Look for an answer that provides a reason for this shift in characterization or a reason why one source might be unreliable.