Drama lessons in Aristophanes' Frogs

Ruffell, I. (2016) Drama lessons in Aristophanes' Frogs. Omnibus, 71, pp. 30-31.

Abstract

Performed at the end of the fifth century, in early 405 B.C., Aristophanes’ comedy, Frogs, in many ways draws things to a close. The long struggle against Sparta and her allies in the Peloponnesian War was nearly at its end: after Athens’ defeat in the following year, and the subsequent challenges to Athenian democracy, much of the political and cultural landscape would change. Meanwhile, the play itself casts its eye back over two of the playwrights who would come to define the rival genre of tragedy. As such, it has often proved tempting to see Aristophanes’ Frogs as an authoritative summing up of the first century of Greek tragedy. But what do we really learn about Greek tragedy from Aristophanes’ Frogs? Here Ian Ruffell offers some answers.

• Item Type: Articles (Other)
• Status: Published
• Refereed: No
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Ruffell, Professor Isabel
• Authors: Ruffell, I.
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PA Classical philology; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0080 Criticism; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0441 Literary History; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Classics
• Journal Name: Omnibus
• Publisher: The Classical Association
• ISSN: 0261-507X