Book III Summary and Analysis

Augustine arrives in Carthage and is carried away with thoughts of love. He even mixes up friendship and physical lust, with a vague but possible mention of a homosexual incident. Augustine is also involved in other passions and emotions. He would go to see plays and feel sad for those who suffer in the play. He wonders why he gets so much pleasure out of seeing someone else suffer on stage. This type of preoccupation with drama, both on stage and in real life, further engage Augustine into a sinful life.

At the same time, Augustine is a senior student in the School of Rhetoric in Carthage and later a teacher. He reads the books of rhetoric, hoping to make a name for himself. By reading the philosopher Cicero's book, called Hortensius, Augustine first finds in himself the love...