Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Shaw, Carl

Keywords

Aristophanes, Comedian, Comedy, Ancient, Drama

Area of Concentration

Classics

Abstract

All eleven comedies to survive complete from thechorus leaders and characters consistently represent dramatic poetry as a medium for education rather than a medium for nonsense. Aristophanes represents the comedian alongside the tragedian as a serious and efficacious artist. Classical Period of Athenian dramatic poetry are ascribed to one poet, Aristophanes. The generic tropes of his work include abusive satire of real persons and events, fantastic plots set in contemporaneous circumstances, and an abundance of scatological imagery and sexual innuendo. In his work, the poet explicitly dramatizes his role in the real world affairs of making comedy. This thesis examines a selection of references in Aristophanes� work that represent the comic poet as a particular kind of artist. Despite the ridiculous plots and frequently grotesque contents of his plays, Aristophanes defends his comedy for its benefits to the citizens of Athens, benefits the poet himself describes. This thesis draws a course through five of Aristophanes� plays (Acharnians 425 B.C.E., Knights 424 B.C.E., Wasps 422 B.C.E., Peace 421 B.C.E., and Frogs 405 B.C.E.) to demonstrate the constancies in Aristophanes' numerous representations of the poet in society. Speeches of

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

Download

Share

COinS