The wasps by Aristophanes

The wasps

Aristophanes

Author:

Aristophanes was the most famous writer of Old Comedy plays in ancient Greece and his surviving works are the only examples of that style. His innovative and sometimes rough comedy could also hide more sophisticated digs at the political elite and deal with social issues such as cultural change and the role of women in society. Indeed, the plays of Aristophanes are not only a record of Greek theatre but also provide an invaluable insight into many of the political and social aspects of ancient Greece, from the practicalities of jury service to details of religious rituals in major festivals.
                                                 

Little is known about Aristophanes beyond what can be gleaned from his plays and a fictional portrait in Plato’s Symposium. From the dates of his works we may surmise that he was born between 460 and 450 BCE and died sometime between 386 and 380 BCE. He was from Athens and he may have spent a period of his youth on Aegina following his father Philippus’ move there. His family, however, evidently had some wealth for the poet's education was obviously one of the best. In politics he supported the aristocratic peace party with all the force of an impetuous nature.

 No contemporary physical portrait survives, but we may surmise from comments in some of his works that he was bald.

The literary activity of the famous Greek comedy writer, Aristophanes, covered a period of forty years. During that time the telling satire of his pen was brought to bear alike on prominent men, political trends, and social foibles. Of the forty plays known to be genuine products of his genius eleven remain for posterity. But these easily prove that for wit, rollicking humor, invention, and skill in the use of language Aristophanes has never been surpassed.

Questions about the author:

Ø  ¿Which kind of author lies upon The wasps?

Aristophanes thanks to the good education he received, is an author who collected interesting and important issues to put into play as a comedy. Through this, Aristophanes criticized the society of Athens needed to sweep away the old corrupt regime, and replaced it with a youthful new order of decency and honesty.

Ø  ¿Did he have in mind any reader?

Aristophanes did have a reader in mind. One might think that goes to all Greek civilization but he focused rather remind people of power (politicians and judges) the importance of litigating properly and not just to satisfy their needs as it did Cleon who was the dominant speaker in the Athenian assembly and was increasingly reliable to manipulate the courts for political ends and staff (including providing jurors with cases to try to keep up their pay).

                                      

                                                   

Ø  ¿Did he set a specific contract on it?

He had the specific contract to make social and political awareness about the decisions that were taken in court.

Sources:

After a significant victory against its rival, Sparta, in the Battle of Sphacteria of 425 BCE, Athens was enjoying a brief respite from the Peloponnesian War at the time “The wasps” was produced. The populist politician and leader of the pro-war faction, Cleon, had succeeded Pericles as the dominant speaker in the Athenian assembly and was increasingly able to manipulate the courts for political and personal ends (including providing jurors with cases to try to keep up their pay). Aristophanes, who had been prosecuted previously by Cleon for slandering the polis with his second (lost) play “The Babylonians”, returned in “The wasps” to the unrelenting attack on Cleon he had begun in “The Knights”, presenting him as a treacherous dog manipulating a corrupted legal process for personal gain.

With this in mind, it is apt that the two main characters in the play are called Philocleon ("lover of Cleon", portrayed as a wild and cantankerous old man, addicted to litigation and the excessive use of the court system) and Bdelycleon ("hater of Cleon", portrayed as a reasonable, law-abiding and civilized young man). There is clearly an overt political suggestion that Athens needs to sweep away the old corrupt regime, and replace it with a new youthful order of decency and honesty.

Questions about Sources:

Ø  ¿Is History the real and direct source?

Aristophanes is based almost one hundred percent in history. For him it was necessary to explain what was happening in the court and the political environment, that was corrupted. Then, because of the need to inform and to really reach the people, he drew up a creative and funny way story, which had as its implicit character the most corrupt litigant of the time, Cleon.

Ø  ¿How far personal affairs influence the Plot?

Just as Aristophanes is much attached to the story, so does his position. In this comic-tragic story, the author tries to put readers on their side to realize what is happening and take action.
                                                       

Ø  ¿Is this a theater-play about Justice?

Yes, that's what it is. The argument revolves around the struggle to regain justice. There is Philocleon ("lover of Cleon" portrayed as a wild and cantankerous old man, addicted to social issues and the excessive use of the court system) and his son, Bdelycleon ("hater of Cleon" portrayed as a reasonable, law- abiding and civilized young man) that tries to put awareness  to his father that what he is doing is wrong.

Ø  ¿Why talking and writing about Justice through comedy?

The reason why he did it that way is because it was easier to reach out to people. If his message was explicit this could be that prohibit or be kicked out against him, however, if he did it implicitly (as he did) could leave a more effective message, at the same time to inform and publicize his complaint, he could entertain and wake people up.

Anecdote:

In The wasps, the father, Philocleon, who, as his name denotes, is warmly attached to Cleon, has surrendered the management of his affairs to his son Bdelucleon--the word meaning the detester of Cleon. The son regrets his father's fondness for judicial business, and weans him from it partly by establishing a law-court at home, in which the house-dog is tried for stealing a Sicilian cheese, with all the formalities of a regular process in the dicasterion. In the second half of the play Philocleon is induced to turn his attention to music and literature, whereupon he is congratulated by the chorus.  

Questions about anecdote:

Ø  ¿Is a love-hate relation between father and son? or ¿Is a justice-injustice one?

Both.  A love-hate relation because in the explicit story there is a son trying to save his father from his adicction of litigate; and it is justice-injustice relation because in the implicit story, the history by itself, Bdelicleon (justice) fight and try to understand Philocleon (injustice) to leave those acts that do not lead to anything good. Remember Philocleon and Bdelycleon are characters that make allusion to Cleon (the corrupt person) and a righteous person.

Ø  ¿How worth is Justice in greek society?

Justice is everything in the greek society. It was believed to be derived from the order of society—a good society fostered justice, and justice fostered a good society.

For Plato,Aristotle and others contemporaries, justice was seen as the paramount virtue with respect to our relations with others. So,greeks said that justice is necessary in every society, but to make it perform  it is necessary to take part in the political decisions of society, that is why we are called political animals, because to live in community is necessary  apply laws and rules to allow each peson to live justice.

So one might mention that justice is very important for Greek society.

Ø  ¿What does represent father?

Filocleon represents the position in favor of Cleon; in favor of injustice and mismanagement of politics.

Ø  ¿What does represent son?

Bdelycleon reprents the stance against Cleon;in favor of justice and the fight against bad policy.

Ø  ¿What does represent dogs?

When the fault of the dog was absolved in the "court" Philocleon faints because he had never lost. That happened thanks to Bdelycleon who changed the boxes  to give a lesson to his father.

                                      

Reception of the work:

The debilitating effects of old age and the dehumanizing effects of an addiction, however, are sombre themes that lift the action beyond the scope of a mere farce. “The Wasps” is also thought to exemplify all the conventions and structural elements of Old Comedy at their best, and represents the zenith of the Old Comedy tradition.

“The Wasps” of Aristophanes is a story that comes to consolidate and represent an era, not only in the political area, but also literary because founds a new concept of writing and manage the message. This is a work that should be universally recognized for its complex ability to narrate a major problem in a simply way (in a comedy way). He did it very easy, creative and trascendent.

Over all the time, there has always been corruption at different levels, in sometimes more than others, but it is always there. Therefore, what Aristophanes presents is nothing new because we see and hear that types of themes every day. The difference would be that the environment and development of the time between then and now was different and therefore different decisions were made.

                                             

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Aristófanes. (2003). Las once comedias. México. Editorial Porrúa, Col. Sepan cuantos.

http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/Clouds.html#top