Balisong, Krizza Mae C. Aristophanes, (born c. 450 BCdied c.

388 BC), the greatest representative of ancient Greek comedy and the one whose works have been preserved in greatest quantity. He is the only extant representative of the Old Comedy, that is, of the phase of comic dramaturgy in which chorus, mime, and burlesque still played a considerable part and which was characterized by bold fantasy, merciless invective and outrageous satire, unabashedly licentious humour, and a marked freedom of political criticism. Many of Aristophane's rollicking comedies were written for and performed during the religious festivals Dionysia and Lenea. The Acharnians (425) was one of many to win him first prize. The Knights (424), with Aristophanes himself acting as Cleon, is a controversial and unapologetic attack of the demagogue Cleon. The Clouds (423) critical of the Sophists, contains the famous scene of the Just and the Unjust argument, the cloud-maidens representative of metaphysical meanderings. It was followed by Peace (421). The eleven surviving plays by Aristophanes are: (Greek, then Latin titles are given in brackets. Dates are approximate): The Acharnians (Akharneis; Acharnenses), 425 BC; The Knights (Hippeis; Equites), 424 BC; The Clouds (Nephelai; Nubes), 423 BC; The Wasps (Sphekes; Vespae), 422 BC; Peace (Eirene; Pax) 421 BC; The Birds (Ornithes; Aves) 414 BC; Lysistrata (Lysistrate, 411 BC; Thesmophoriazusae or, The Women Celebrating the Thesmophoria(Thesmophoriazousai), 411 BC; The Frogs (Batrakhoi; Ranae) 405 BC; Ecclesiazusae or, The Assemblywomen(Ekklesiazousai) 392 BC; Wealth (Ploutos; Plutus) 388 BC. Aristophanes is the only representative of Old Comedy whose work we have in complete form. We still appreciate his wit. People still laugh at modern performances of his comedies. In particular, his famous women's sex strike for peace comedy, Lysistrata, continues to resonate -- especially at the start of unpopular wars. Old Comedy had been performed for 60 years prior to Aristophanes. In his time, as his work shows, Old Comedy was changing. It was bawdy and topically political, taking license with living people in the public eye. Ordinary humans played the most heroic characters. Gods and heroes could play buffoons. His style of Old Comedy is described as over-the-top, more like Animal House than How I Met Your Mother which has a lineage that could be traced to the important comedy genre that came after Aristophanes. This was New Comedy, the stock character-filled comedy of manners, written by the Greek Menander and his Roman imitators. To be more completely accurate, New Comedy followed Middle Comedy, a little known genre to which Aristophanes contributed at the end of his career. Aristophanes wrote comedies from 427-386 B.C., which gives us approximate dates for his life: (c. 448-385 B.C.). Unfortunately, we know very little about him, although he lived in Athens during periods of turmoil, beginning his writing career after the death of Pericles, during the Peloponnesian War. In A Handbook of Greek Literature, H.J. Rose says his father was named Philippos. Rose calls Aristophanes a member of the Athenian conservative party. Aristophanes knew Socrates and poked fun at him in The Clouds, as an example of a sophist. From the other side, Aristophanes appears in Plato's Symposium, comically hiccuping before he comes up with an inspired explanation for why there are are people with different sexual orientations. Of more than 40 plays written by Aristophanes, 11 survive. He won prizes at least six times -- but not all firsts -- four at the Lenaea (held roughly, in January), where comedy was added to the events in about 440 B.C., and two at the City Dionysia (roughly, in March), where only tragedy had been performed until about 486 B.C.

Balisong, Krizza Mae C. While Aristophanes produced most of his own plays, he did not initially do so. Not until theAcharnians, a pro-peace play and one of those featuring the character of the great tragedian Euripides, won a prize at the Lenaea, in 425, did he start producing. His previous two plays, the Banqueteers and the Babyloniansdo not survive. The Knights (Lenaea of 424), an attack on the political figure Cleon, and Frogs (Lenaia of 405), which also features the charater of Euripides in a contest with Aeschylus, also won first prize. The generally irreverent, creative Aristophanes made fun of the gods and of real people. His portrayal of Socrates in The Clouds has been criticized for contributing to the atmosphere that condemned Socrates, since he portrays Socrates as a ridiculous sophist teaching the morally worthless topics of philosophy for money. A typical structure for Aristophanes' Old Comedy would be prologue, parados, agon, parabasis, episodes, and exodus, with a chorus of 24. Actors wore masks and had padding front and back. Costumes might include giant phalluses. He used equipment like the mechane or crane and theekkyklema or platform. He made up long, complicated, compound words where appropriate, like cloudcuckooland.

Sophocles was the second of the 3 greatest Greek writers of tragedy (with Aeschylus and Euripides). He is known best for what he wrote about Oedipus, the mythological figure who proved central to Freud and the history of psychoanalysis. He lived through most of the 5th century, experiencing the Age of Pericles and thePeloponnesian War. Basics: c. 496-406 B.C. Sophocles grew up in the town of Colonus, just outsideAthens, which was the setting of his tragedy Oedipus at Colonus. His father, Sophillus, thought to have been been a wealthy nobleman, sent his son to Athens for an education. Public Offices: In 443/2 Sophocles was hellanotamis or treasurer of the Greeks and managed, with 9 others, the treasury of theDelian League. During the Samian War (441-439) and theArchidamian War (431-421) Sophocles was strategos'general'. In 413/2, he was one of the board of 10probouloi or commissioners in charge of the council. Religious Office: Sophocles was a priest of Halon and helped introduce the cult of Asclepius, god of medicine, to Athens. He was honored posthumously as a hero. Source: Greek Tragedy An Introduction, by Bernhard Zimmerman. 1986. Dramatic Accomplishments: In 468, Sophocles defeated the first of the the three great Greek tragedians, Aeschylus, in a dramatic competition; then in 441, the third of the tragedian trio, Euripides, beat him. During his long life Sophocles earned many prizes, including about 20 for 1st place. Sophocles increased the number of actors to 3 (thereby reducing the importance of the chorus). He broke from Aeschylus' thematically-unified trilogies, and invented skenographia (scene painting), to define the background.

Balisong, Krizza Mae C. Extant Plays: Seven complete tragedies

Oedipus Tyrannus Oedipus at Colonus Antigone Electra Trachiniae Ajax Philoctetes out of more than 100 survive; fragments exist for 80-90 others. Oedipus at Colonus was produced posthumously. Prize Dates When Known: Ajax (440's) Antigone (442?) Electra Oedipus at Colonus Oedipus Tyrannus (425?) Philoctetes (409) Trachiniae

Aeschylus Dates: 525/4 - 456/55 B.C. Birthplace: Eleusis near Athens Place of death: Gela, Sicily Occupation: Playwright Aeschylus was the first of the three great ancient Greek writers of tragedy. Born at Eleusis, he lived from about 525-456 B.C., during which time the Greeks suffered invasion by the Persians in the Persian Wars. Aeschylus fought at the major Persian War Battle of Marathon. The Fame of Aeschylus: Aeschylus was the first of the 3 renowned prize-winning Greek writers of tragedy (Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides). He may have won either 13 or 28 prizes. The smaller figure may refer to prizes Aeschylus won at theGreat Dionysia, and the larger figure to prizes he won there and also at other smaller festivals. The smaller number represents awards for 52 plays: 13 * 4, since each award at the Dionysia is for a tetralogy (= 3 tragedies and 1 satyr play). Exceptional Honor Paid: In the context of the festivals at Athens during theClassical period, each tetralogy (the tragedy trilogy and satyr play) was only performed once, except in the case of Aeschylus. When he died, allowance was made to re-stage his plays.

Balisong, Krizza Mae C. As an Actor: Besides writing tragedy, Aeschylus may have performed in his plays. This is considered possible because an attempt was made to murder Aeschylus while he was on stage, possibly because he revealed a secret of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Surviving Tragedies by Aeschylus:

Agamemnon Written 458 B.C. The Choephori Written 450 B.C. Eumenides Written 458 B.C. The Persians Written 472 B.C. Prometheus Bound Written ca. 430 B.C. The Seven Against Thebes Written 467 B.C. The Suppliants Written ca. 463 B.C.

Euripides Dates: c. 484-407/406 Birthplace: Salamis or Phlya* Parents: Mnesarchus or Mnesarchides (a merchant from the Athenian deme of Phyla) and Cleito Teachers: Anaxagoras of Clazomenae, Ionia, and Protagoras Place of death: Macedonia or Athens Occupation: Playwright Euripides was an ancient writer of Greek tragedy -- the third of the famous trio (withSophocles and Aeschylus). Euripides wrote about women and mythological themes likeMedea and Helen of Troy. He enhanced the importance of intrigue in tragedy. Some aspects of Euripides' tragedy seem more at home in comedy than in tragedy, and, indeed, Euripides is considered to have been a significant influence on the Greek creation of New Comedy, a development in comedy that comes later than Euripides and his contemporary, the most familiar writer of Old Comedy, Aristophanes. Euripides - Life and Career of Euripides: A contemporary of Sophocles, Euripides was born around 484 B.C. possibly on Salamis, although that may be a coincidence of the fanciful methods used to date his birth [see: "Euripides and Macedon, or the Silence of the 'Frogs,'" by Scott Scullion; The Classical Quarterly (Nov., 2003), pp. 389-400], and died in 406, possibly in Macedonia. Euripides' birth was anecdotally related to have been on the day of the Battle of Salamis. His first competition was probably in 455 when he came in third. His initial first prize came in 442, but out of about 92 plays, Euripides won only 4 more first prizes -- the last, posthumously. Despite winning only limited acclaim during his lifetime, Euripides was the most popular of the three great tragedians for generations after his death. After the illfated Sicilian expedition, those Athenians who could recite Euripides were saved from slave-labor in the mines, says Plutarch, according to David Kawalko Roselli, in "Vegetable-Hawking Mom and Fortunate Son: Euripides, Tragic Style,

Balisong, Krizza Mae C. and Reception," Phoenix Vol. 59, No. 1/2 (Spring - Summer, 2005), pp. 1-49. Euripides may have visited Sicily to produce his play, Women of Aetna in the late 470s, according to Scullion. Sources: Ancient sources on Euripides include the seemingly most reliable Philochorus, an annalist of the third century B.C., another third century figure, Satyrus (fragments of his life of Euripides were among the Oxyrrhynchus papyri vol. ix) [source: Gilbert Murray], Apollodorus (2nd century B.C. at Alexandria), and Plutarch, and from Medieval times, the Suda. Aristophanes provides biographical anecdotes about Euripides [source: Roselli]. Euripides - Death: Ancient writers from the third century B.C. (starting with a poem by Hermesianax [Scullion]) claim Euripides died in 407/406, not in Athens, but in Macedonia, at the court of King Archelaus. Euripides would have been in Macedonia either in self-imposed exile or at the king's invitation. Gilbert Murray thinks the Macedonian despot Archelaus invited Euripides to Macedonia more than once. He had already corraled Agathon, the tragic poet, Timotheus, a musician, Zeuxis, a painter, and possibly, Thucydides, the historian. An improbable variety of explanations for his death shows how controversial Euripides was: "He is said to have been killed by hunting dogs, either accidentally let loose on him or deliberately set on him by enemies or rivals, or torn apart by women." This could be a doublet of Euripides' ownBacchae, a tragedy written while in exile. The story had a variety of forms, with Hermesianax' (earliest) version showing a punishing Aphrodite acting as a latter-day Artemis punishing Actaeon [Scullion]. Euripides may have died in Athens. Contributions of Euripides: Where Aeschylus and Sophocles emphasized plot, by adding an actor each, Euripides added intrigue. Intrigue is complicated in Greek tragedy by the constant presence of the all-knowing chorus. Euripides also created the love-drama. New Comedy took over the more effective parts of Euripides' technique. In a modern performance of Euripides' tragedy, Helen, the director explained it was essential for the audience to see immediately that it's a comedy. Euripides' Alcestis: Another Euripidean tragedy that portrays women and Greek mythology, and seems to bridge the genres of tragedy, satyr play, and comedy is Alcestis. A buffoonish Hercules (Heracles) comes to the house of his friend Admetus. Admetus is mourning the death of his wife Alcestis, who has sacrificed her life for him, but won't tell Hercules who has died. Hercules overindulges, as usual. While his polite host won't say who died, the appalled household staff will. To make amends for partying at a house in mourning, Hercules goes to the Underworld to rescue Alcestis. Euripides' "Bacchae":

Balisong, Krizza Mae C. Tragedies that he had written shortly before death that had never been performed at Athens' City Dionysia were found and entered into the contest for 305. Euripides' plays won first prize. They included The Bacchae, a tragedy that informs our vision of Dionysus. Unlike Medea, no deus ex machina comes in to save the child-killing mother. Instead she goes into voluntary exile. It is a thought-provoking, grizzly play, but in the running for Euripides' finest tragedy.

Bacchae Dramatis Personae Study Questions

Reputation of Euripides: During his lifetime, Euripides' innovations met with hostility. To Euripides, traditional legends portrayed the moral standards of the gods unsuitably. The gods' morality was shown to be lower than that of virtuous men. Although Euripides portrayed women sensitively, he nonetheless had a reputation as a woman-hater. Rabinowitz indirectly explains this paradox. One of the points you may have noticed in the summary facts about Euripides is that there is a mother listed. Usually the mother is ignored, but in the case of Euripides, his mother is mentioned in Aristophanes' Acharnians because character Dicaepolis asks character Euripides for rags and some chervil from his mother. Chervil was considered famine-food [Roselli] and Euripides' mother is portrayed as a vegetable seller. It was portrayed as disgraceful to be brought up by such a woman. Aristophanes on Euripides: Euripides' contemporary, the comic poet Aristophanes (c. 448-385 B.C.) criticized Euripides for innovating and lessening the hauteur of tragedy, his morals, and his attitudes towards women. Some of these complaints are like those leveled against Socrates [see Charges Against Socrates]. Specifically. Aristophanes criticized Euripides because he: 1. put beggars in rags on stage 2. was determined to make tragedy less lofty 3. was decadent, a poetic innovator 4. was a misogynist 5. subverted received morality 6. held unorthodox religious views. Surviving Tragedies of Euripides:

Alcestis (438 B.C.) Medea (431 B.C.) Heracleidae (c. 430 B.C.) Hippolytus (428 B.C.) Andromache (c. 425 B.C.) Hecuba (c. 424 B.C.) The Suppliants (c. 423 B.C.) Electra (c. 420 B.C.) Heracles (c. 416 B.C.) The Trojan Women (415 B.C.) Iphigeneia in Tauris (c. 414 B.C.) Ion (c. 414 B.C.) Helen (412 B.C.)

Balisong, Krizza Mae C.

Phoenician Women (c. 410 B.C.) Orestes (408 B.C.) Bacchae (405 B.C.) Iphigeneia at Aulis (405 B.C.) See Study Guides for the Individual Plays.

The Plays: Read Euripides' plays online. Euripides Quotes There are three classes of citizens. The first are the rich, who are indolent and yet always crave more. The second are the poor, who have nothing, are full of envy, hate the rich, and are easily led by demagogues. Between the two extremes lie those who make the state secure and uphold the laws. Euripides - The Suppliants The following titles come from surviving plays and fragments of the tragedies of Euripides:

Aegeus Aeolus Alcestis Alcmene Alexander Alope Antigone Antiope Bacchae Hippolytus Iphigenia in Aulis Iphigenia in Tauris Licymnius Medea Meleager Phoenix Phrixus Rhesus Temenidae

Balisong, Krizza Mae C. References: Gill, N.S. (No date) Retrieved on June 25, 2013 at http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/sophocles/p/Sophocles.htm Gill, N.S. (No date) Retrieved on June 25, 2013 at http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/drama/p/Aeschylus.htm Gill, N.S. (No date) Retrieved on June 25, 2013 at http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/aristophanescomedy/g/Aristophanes.htm Merriman, C.D. (2006) Retrieved on June 25, 2013 at http://www.online-literature.com/aristophanes/ Taplin Oliver. (No date) Retrieved on June 25, 2013 at http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/34467/Aristophanes