The best-known platonic depiction of tyranny appears in Republic

Mapping the Passage
¶1 discusses Plato‘s view in the Republic of what tyranny is (traditional view of tyranny).
¶2 introduces Giovannini‘s argument that this traditional view of what Plato thought is incomplete and ignores Plato's earlier depiction of tyranny in Lysis.
¶3 argues that the Greek philosophers rejected tyranny, and that Plato‘s conception of what tyranny constitutes is unclear.
¶4 critiques Giovannini‘s argument, suggesting that the Republic may represent a more mature view of tyranny than the earlier Lysis.
¶5 outlines Giovannini‘s argument that Plato describes tyrants as ―perfect‖ in Lysis and that Plato‘s conception of tyranny between the two books is paradoxical.
1) An evaluation question: review your map of ¶4. Predict what the correct answer must look like: it has to note the author‘s critique of Giovannini‘s theory. Only (C) and (D) involve Giovannini, and (C) is much too harsh. (D) provides a balanced summary of what the author does, matching the prediction from your map closely. Note that the author's tone is neutral. He simply discusses the pros and cons of Giovannini's account.
(A): Out of Scope. The author isn‘t concerned with critiquing Plato, only Giovannini.
(B): Faulty Use of Detail. The author discusses content and order in discussing Plato‘s more mature work in the Republic as compared to Lysis, but only as a way of critiquing Giovannini‘s overall interpretation of the two works.
(C): Distortion. The author says ―the danger is heightened that Giovannini may have invented, rather than discovered, subtle interconnections in Plato‘s thought.‖ While the author is therefore raising the possibility that Giovannini‘s findings are more imagined than real, he doesn't dismiss Giovannini outright.
(D): The correct answer
(E): There is no ‗criticism‘ in this paragraph.
2) Review Giovannini‘s view of tyranny in Lysis (¶5), keeping in mind that the answer choices will try to confuse you with the views of others or from other books. The passage states: as ―Giovannini argues, the tyranny found in Lysis is the wake of a doomed union between the needy masses and the singular, complete one.‖ (C) paraphrases this contrast between the state of the masses and the state of the tyrant.
(A): Faulty Use of Detail. This is the Plato‘s opinion of tyrannical regimes as described in the Republic, not Lysis.
(B): Distortion. Giovannini believes that Plato considers tyranny incompatible with a healthy political community, but this doesn‘t mean that it‘s incompatible with politics in general. The fact that ¶2 lists tyranny as one of the types of governments that Plato recognizes further suggests that tyranny is in fact compatible with the political community.
(C): The correct answer
(D): Opposite. Giovannini describes the masses as ―needy,‖ suggesting that if anything, tyranny discourages self-reliance and strength.
(E): Out of scope.
3) An incorporation question. Paraphrase the situation given in the question: Plato avoids confusing his audience by not revealing contradictory conclusions. How would this be relevant to the passage? Predict: Plato might have had a paradoxical conclusion about tyranny, just like Giovannini argues, between Lysis and the Republic, but avoided revealing the contradiction in the Republic to keep his audience from being confused. This would contradict the author‘s point in the fourth paragraph that ―if Plato intended the conception of tyranny that appears in Republic to be somehow bound up in a paradox with the conception of tyranny in Lysis, he would presumably have hinted as much.‖ Look for an answer choice that summarizes this: (C) fits the bill.
(A): Opposite. The new information would strengthen Giovannini‘s claim since it increases the possibility that Plato did have a paradoxical view, but kept from revealing it for the sake of clarity.
(B): Distortion. The author doesn‘t argue this; Giovannini does. The author in fact argues that the Republic is the most complete reflection of Plato‘s views on tyranny since it was written when his views had matured.
(C): The correct answer
(D): Distortion. While it does weaken the author's view, it can‘t weaken the argument given in this choice because the author never describes Giovannini‘s work as ingenious. In any case, the new information would support Giovannini, and so it couldn‘t weaken any praise given to him.
(E): Incorrect, as explained in C.