Take The Frogs* for instance -

Take The Frogs* for instance -

Aristophanes must have been one of the best comic writers because we have eleven of his plays still with us. That means, as we mentioned with Euripides* , there are a number of copies floating around and a number of productions mounted in other cities and other colonies. He runs Euripides* a close second in the text survival game, well ahead of Aeschylus* and Sophocles*.

Take his play, The Frogs*. Try to visualize the show. The chorus are got up as Frogs and the five main actors with tights on their legs, their torsos padded to the shape of a barrel, a short, waist length cloak, a prominent (obviously fake) phallus, and a funny character mask. A distorted caricature, ready and able to engage in the slapstick burlesque that would put Roger Rabbit, the Simpsons, or Bugs Bunny to shame.

A comedy always starts off with a "happy idea". This time the idea is bring back a great tragic poet from among host of the dead. A comedy always centers on a contest (an agon*). In this case the contest is supposedly going to be about literary merit. Who is the greatest tragic poet? Is it Aeschylus* or Sophocles*, or Euripides* (he just died the year before)? The real contest A comedy always starts off with a "happy idea". This time the idea is bring back a great tragic poet from among host of the dead. A comedy always centers on a contest (an agon*). In this case the contest is supposedly going to be about literary merit. Who is the greatest tragic poet? Is it Aeschylus* or Sophocles*, or Euripides* (he just died the year before)? The real contest

Remember the Peloponnesian war*? Well, it's about over and Athens will surrender to Sparta* next year. It's about as bad as it can get. The leaders aren't leading, the people aren't following, the slaves have revolted in the silver mines and the silver and money are running out anyway. Trade has been cut to the bone and the food supply from the colonies isn't getting through. It must have been a lot like Moscow in 1991. The old ideals that made the country great have failed and there don't seem to be any easy solutions. A contest about values is just the thing.

* The Frogs* starts off with a hero setting off on his quest (Prologue). The hero in this case is the god of the festival, Dionysus*. After all, this quest is supposed to be for the best tragic poet, and theatre is his personal domain. Now, as the audience knows, all the best poets are dead, and the only place to look for dead poets is in Hades*. How do you get to Hades? That's easy, Herakles* once made it and got back OK. So, off Dionysus* goes, with his slave, to ask the big man for advice. There are lots of jokes from Herakles* about how the easiest way to get to the land of the dead is suicide in various forms.

After all this totally unhelpful help, the god decides to disguise himself as the big guy. After all, who do you send on a dangerous mission to the Underworld (Hades) to get the word that will save humanity? Herakles*, of course, the Arnold Schwarzenegger of his day. Only this is

a comedy and Dionysus is an effeminate god and a scaredy-cat. The lion-skin and club (Herakles*' symbols of who he is) look pretty silly on the mincing Dionysus*.

We have burlesque, slapstick, and, as we get to the river Styx* (that circles Hades), songs and dances ( first Parados*, entrance of the chorus) from the Frogs (who live in the river, of course). More fun and games with the grouchy Charon*, the boatman who runs the ferry across the river. You have to pay him and Dionysus* does, but he is too cheap to pay for his slave, so that one has to walk the long way around.

When they both get to Hades, by their different routes, there are more fun and games. They are pretty rough on visitors at the gate to Hades, and when music starts playing, Dionysus* hides in the audience to avoid harsh treatment.

Now we get one of those strange parts in the middle (this is the Second Parados*). Songs, hymns, sexy dancing, general fun and games with topical remarks to the audience. Finally the Frogs tell Dionysus* how to get in to the palace of Hades.

(Episode*) When Dionysus* knocks on the door the doorkeeper takes him for Herakles* and sends for guards to arrest him (he left owing money). There are a series of gags where Dionysus* disguises himself as his slave to avoid getting hurt. He makes his slave deck out as Herakles* with his club and lion skin. They change back and forth every time Herakles* is either welcomed or threatened. Finally the guards can't tell who's the god and who's the slave so they whip them both and Dionysus* gets hurt anyway. [You may notice that gods have no special powers to avoid discomfort. They are almost indistinguishable from people by this time.]

Now there is another strange part in the middle (this time the Parabasis*) where the chorus attacks the politicians and praises the people and pokes fun at various local celebrities who are there in the audience.

Eventually the cast gets to the agon*, the contest, and another Episode*. Euripides* and Aeschylus* are the contestants. They each try to see which is the weightier playwright by putting lines from their plays on a giant scale. More fun and games and the scales keep coming down for Aeschylus* (obviously the ancient values are the ones the playwright is pushing). Dionysus* still can't decide and he asks for advice on how to save the city. Finally Aeschylus* is picked to come back and save tragedy (and hopefully going back to the first playwright's vigorous ideals will save the Athenians). Everybody is invited to a farewell dinner and we get peace, reconciliation and a triumphal Exodos*.

The same pattern shows up in all Aristophanes' plays. The happy idea, the contest which is proposed, and the real social, political and religious satire and comment underneath. All these embedded in hilarious songs, dances and spouting off to the audience.

One of the most popular Aristophanic comedies in current theatre is Lysistrata*. It's written six years earlier than The Frogs*, when there is still some chance of ending the war. The women of all sides in the war get together and decide the only way to stop the fighting is for them to deny the men any sexual relations whatsoever, until they stop this war business. This is far and away the funniest play for contemporary audiences.