Who Is Aristophanes Play The Knights?

The Knights is the second surviving play from Aristophanes, written in 424 BC. The Knights serves as Aristophanes’ comedic revenge on the Athenian demagogue, Cleon, who brought Aristophanes up on charges of treason and not truly being an Athenian citizen. The Knights focuses on a fictional representation of Cleon, Paphlagon, which ironically bares resemblance to the Asian territory of Paphlagonia, subtly throwing the charges of being a foreigner back in Cleon’s face. The play tells of how Cleon (in this play depicted as a slave to the oligarch, Demos) rose to power through corruption and was eventually overthrown by a common sausage seller named Agoracritus. Central to this plotline are the presence of and prophecies given by oracles. Rather than being revered symbols of religion, oracles are used throughout the course of The Knights as tools to promote specific political agendas.

While lamenting over how Cleon has manipulated his way into power, the other two slaves, Nicias and Demosthenes, point out how Cleon is especially adept at exploiting their master’s belief in oracles. Nicias makes several remarks about how their master has “the mind of a farmer” and what a simpleton he is. Examples of this can be found in how their master, Demos, completely bows to the prophecies of oracles and sibyls. Cleon, in turn, uses his master’s superstition to his own advantage. In other words, Demos’ simplemindedness is made evident by the fact that he blindly follows the words of oracles without question. This in turn, makes him susceptible to more cunning men like