... down." This refers to when Aristophanes was depressed due to the failure of The Clouds, which was performed in the year before The Wasps. He wanted to win! In the parados of The Frogs, there is also another quote which represents the desire of Aristophanes of winning the competition- the chorus sings to Demeter, "Part in earnest, part in jest, we may shine above the rest, and our play in all men's eyes favour find ... of the theatre. In other words, the two are implied to be cross-linked. The Initiates' rituals of the Eleusinian mysteries lead to "dancing, songs and laughter- all the be...

• Word Count: 2246
• Approx Pages: 9

... poets themselves were "clever and wise". Drama was so important in classical Greece that the Dionysiac festivals continued even in wartime, albeit with a reduced number of plays and it was the City Dionysia, encompassing all Greek States, which halted war temporarily, rather the work of the politicians. The importance of peace was a recurring theme in Aristophanic comedy; it is mentioned in Acharnians (425BC) ... lather / For he mixes in ashes to make them go farther" and, more damningly, not being of pure Athenian birth - "when once translated from the Thracian". Special wrath, though,...

• Word Count: 912
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate