The Complete Plays

Book excerpt: This comprehensive compilation of Aristophanes' texts, "The Complete Plays of Aristophanes" contains eleven unique stories all penned by the famously witty Greek playwright. His works are also important because they are some of the last remaining forms of Old Comedy in existence. The plays are filled with all kinds of satire, ranging from politics and sex to the humorous portrayals of popular Greek figures. "The Clouds" depicts the philosopher Socrates as a sneaky old man with a penchant for stirring up discontent and mischief. In "Lysistrata," the women of Greece refuse to give their husbands sex unless they re-think their stance in the Peloponnesian War. "The Frogs" shows that the Greek god Dionysus bumbling around the Underworld because he misses the older and more tragic plays over the newer tongue-in-cheek ones. Aristophanes appreciated the more tragic plays, but he refused to let himself take them too seriously. He believed that the audiences needed something more in their lives than solemn tales about the Greek gods, so he made them laugh with his sarcastic and sardonic humor. He was also influential in that he revised the role of the classic Greek chorus; most choruses were only present in the tragedies; however, he doubled the number of chorus singers and made them the voice of humorous reason amidst the comical confusion. As such, Aristophanes is remembered and praised by critics and audiences alike.