Socrates was charged with ridiculing poets and other teachers, Why? What reason was there for this charge?

Question

I am reading a book on Socrates but can not seem to figure this one out. What possible evidence is there of him ridiculing poets, playwrights, and other teachers?

Answer 1

In Socrates defense argument, (Apology), he stated that if he is convicted, it would be because of Aristophanes, corrupting the minds of his audience when they were young. This references the play, "the clouds" that was a slapstick mockery of Socrates, some 24 years earlier.
Many of the charges brought forward by his accusers were motivated by revenge. Socrates found that politicians, teachers and even laymen were not who they claimed entirely, and this dishonesty exposed, embarrassed them. they needed to discredit and silence his honesty.

Answer 2

He was constantly asking questions that they couldn't answer, and showing that many of their teachings led up logical dead-ends or were internally contradictory.
Basically, he was just too damned smart for his own good ☺

Doug