To What Extent Does Aristophanes Attempt to Give His Audience a Serious Political Message in ‘the Frogs’? Essay Example
Aristophanes was one of the most famous comedy playwrights of the 5th century BC. He was an arch conservative which means that he was a traditional politician and disliked the radical democracy, he believed that the aristocrats should remain in power because they were better than the average Athenian. The Frogs, was first performed at the Lenaea in 405 BC as part of the yearly celebration of Dionysus, which means that everyone would have had to attend the play. Most of Aristophanes’ plays are known as ‘peace’ plays, however The Frogs in not considered as one.
Aristophanes tries to portray an important political message in the play ‘The Frogs’, but the play sometimes overpowers the audience by the use of so much slapstick humour. Most of the meaning is lost on a modern audience. However, the Athenians watching the play would have understood the political message, especially the upper class citizens.
Although his plays were for people from all social classes and backgrounds, it was to the better educated that he was trying to reach with his political points of view, as they would understand better and because they were the upper class citizens with an education. A lot of the messages were quite subtle, and would perhaps have been lost on the less educated members of the audience. As the chorus says ’Here sit ten thousand men of sense, a most enlightened audience.’ Obviously he didn’t want the lower classes to understand because he is criticising their inability to hold power and make decisions. He uses the subtle messages to convince the old aristocrats that they are better suited for the leadership of Athens. In Aristophanes’ plays he sneers at demagogues for their low origins. This had led many to wrongfully assume that these men were drawn from the lower classes. There is abundant evidence that many of them were very wealthy if not drawn from the aristocratic families themselves. This is because Aristophanes represents the upper classes and he hates the
Aristophanes tries to portray an important political message in the play ‘The Frogs’, but the play sometimes overpowers the audience by the use of so much slapstick humour. Most of the meaning is lost on a modern audience. However, the Athenians watching the play would have understood the political message, especially the upper class citizens.
Although his plays were for people from all social classes and backgrounds, it was to the better educated that he was trying to reach with his political points of view, as they would understand better and because they were the upper class citizens with an education. A lot of the messages were quite subtle, and would perhaps have been lost on the less educated members of the audience. As the chorus says ’Here sit ten thousand men of sense, a most enlightened audience.’ Obviously he didn’t want the lower classes to understand because he is criticising their inability to hold power and make decisions. He uses the subtle messages to convince the old aristocrats that they are better suited for the leadership of Athens. In Aristophanes’ plays he sneers at demagogues for their low origins. This had led many to wrongfully assume that these men were drawn from the lower classes. There is abundant evidence that many of them were very wealthy if not drawn from the aristocratic families themselves. This is because Aristophanes represents the upper classes and he hates the