Theme of Comedic Showmanship in Aristophanes' Plays

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Aristophanes was born presumably around 449 B.C. and died somewhere around 386 to 380 B.C. He wrote and producing his first comedy, The Banqueters, in 428 at the showpiece festival in the City of Dionysia. The following year Aristophanes won first prize with his play The Babylonians. This production however caused charges to be brought upon him by the politician Cleon for smearing the Athenian people and state. In all, Aristophanes was brought on charges twice, the second time for his play The Knights in which he again attacked the politician Cleon. In 405 Aristophanes was however publicly honored and crowned for promoting Athenian unity in his play The Frogs. Throughout his life Aristophanes wrote forty plays, eleven surviving to this day. A recurring theme in Aristophanes plays is one of comedic showmanship, in that he uses his plays as a stage to mock, slander, and critique prominent people and events in Athenian society and politics. The three productions focused on here are The Acharnians, The Clouds, and one of the most famous peace plays, Lysistrata.
In The Acharnians the main theme is peace with the Spartans during the Peloponnesian War. Dikaiopolis is the protagonist in the play, his name literally translating to “Honest Citizen.” Dikaiopolis, along with Amphitheus, try to make their point known with the Assembly and convince them to seek an official peace. Dikaipolis however, after his freedom of speech is denied, acts without the will of the community (Assembly) and makes a private peace instead. After taking the risk of acting against the norm in the form of the consent of the Assembly and the community, Dikaipolis is rewarded by winning Pitcher Day feast prize and the blessings of civic officials, to where he attend...

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...y from the war, as their main reason for not declaring peace. Pericles would also deny the fact that leaders of Athens are unfit for leadership, since he believes that “no subject can complain of being governed by people unfit for their responsibilities” (Pericles Funeral Oration, Perry pg. 64). Aristophanes plays The Acharnians and Lysistrata both expose leaders as corrupt and unable to do what is necessary for peace, such as the lack of negotiations by The Assembly and Lamachus in The Acharnians and the failures of men and political leaders to stop the war in Lysistrata. Overall Pericles Funeral Oration was meant to install morale, heighten spirits, and lift the Athenian people in a time of crisis. Aristophanes goal was to send a message of peace by exposing flaws in Athenian society, which I believe Pericles would not have taken kindly too during a time of war.

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