Lysistrata - "Love is simply the name for the desire and the pursuit of the whole"

Aristophanes Aristophanes

Summary

The reality is that little is known of Aristophanes actual life but eleven of his forty plays survive intact and upon those rest his deserved reputation as the Father of Comedy or, The Prince of Ancient Comedy. Accounts agree that he was born sometime between 456BC and 446 BC. Many cities claim the honor of his birthplace and the most probable story makes him the son of Philippus of Ægina, and therefore only an adopted citizen of Athens, a distinction which, at times could be cruel, though he was raised and educated in Athens. His plays are said to recreate the life of ancient Athens more realistically than any other author could. Intellectually his powers of ridicule were feared by his influential contemporaries; Plato himself singled out Aristophanes' play The Clouds as a slander that contributed to the trial and condemning to death of Socrates and although other satirical playwrights had also caricatured the philosopher his carried the most weight. His now lost play, The Babylonians, was denounced by the demagogue Cleon as a slander against the Athenian polis. Aristophanes seems to have taken this criticism to heart and thereafter caricatured Cleon mercilessly in his subsequent plays, especially The Knights. His life and playwriting years were undoubtedly long though again accounts as to the year of his death vary quite widely. What can be certain is that his legacy of surviving plays is in effect both a treasured legacy but also in itself the only surviving texts of Ancient Greek comedy.

Available since: 03/03/2017.

Other books that might interest you

Christmas Is Coming Songs and...

Celtic Tradition

Weihnachten in Irland - wer träumt da nicht von gemütlichen Irish Pubs, in denen fröhlich musiziert wird, während draußen der kalte Wind durch die Gassen fegt? Das Albumder Gruppe Celtic Tradition bietet eine Auswahl von Melodien, die inIrland zur Weihnachtszeit gespielt werden. Der Song "The Wren, The Wren" wird beispielsweise zum St. Stephen's Day gespielt, an dem Musiker*innen traditionell von Haus zu Haus ziehen, um gemeinsam ein Schlückchen zu trinken.Aus dem Inhalt:Don Oichee Úd I mBeithil • The Seven Rejoices Of Our Lady • Beauty In Tears • A Íosa A Laogh-Dhil • Christmas In The Old Man's Hat • The Snow On The Heather • Airdi Cuan • The Wren, The Wren • Polkas: O'Brian's Bridge, The Mulcair Bank's, Fall's Of Doonass • We Three Kings of Orient Are • Child of Bethlehem • The Holly And The Berry (Hornpipe) • Jigs: Paddy O'Brien's Jig Tumble The Tinker • Reels: Larry Readigan's, Christmas Eve

Show book

High Energy Rock

Antonio Smith

This collection of fitness music is perfectly mixed, set at just the right pace to help you perform a high-energy, body-moving workout.

Show book

Abbott and Costello: Lou Shoots...

Bud Abbott, Lou Costello

Mrs. Beanbag is suing Costello for shooting at her. He tries to settle for fifty cents, but Abbott hires Mr. Kitzel, the lawyer to defend Costello.

Show book

Deities Dolls and Devices -...

Lauren E. Talalay

A report on the prehistoric ceramic figurines recovered from the Franchthi Cave in Greece. 
 
Talalay reports on a small body of figurines (twenty-four figurines and twenty-one fragments) recovered during excavations at Franchthi Cave and at the nearby open-air settlement along the present shoreline. She also reexamines the theoretical and methodological foundations of scholarship in the field of figurine studies. A thorough and pathfinding study of the most important body of figurines from southern Greece, this book will be especially valuable to specialists in prehistoric Greece and to all scholars interested in early representations of the human figure in prehistoric art and in the significance of these representations to the members of early human communities. The book also makes a contribution to the growing body of literature on gender in early societies with a critical evaluation of the uses of evidence in addressing gender issues.

Show book

Adventures of Nero Wolfe The:...

J. Donald Wilson

When Archie answered the phone it was a Mr. Jenkins stating that he was due there an hour ago but was late because she was killed. Mr. Jenkins turned out to be just the delivery man with an important note containing five $100 bills and an invitation to spend the weekend at Mr. Mailots. However, upon arriving at the Mailots Archie was to learn that the invitation had not come from Mr. Mailot

Show book

Then What Happens? -...

Mike Alfreds

A practical investigation into story-theatre and the art of telling stories through theatre, by the renowned director who founded Shared Experience Theatre Company.
In Then What Happens?, Mike Alfreds makes the case for putting story and storytelling back at the heart of theatre. He explores the whole process of adapting for the stage, and investigates the particular techniques - many of them highly sophisticated - that actors require when performing 'story-theatre'.
The book includes over two hundred exercises, improvisations and workshops dealing with the practical aspects of story-theatre, such as building an ensemble, creating a physical vocabulary, and transforming written narrative into drama. It draws on examples ranging from traditional legends and folklore, through the works of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Evelyn Waugh, to contemporary fiction. Alfreds shows how each story demands its own particular set of dramatic choices, opening up endless possibilities for performance.
Then What Happens? - like the author's tremendously successful first book, Different Every Night - will be invaluable to directors and actors, to dramatists working in the field of adaptation, to those devising and working from improvisation, and to any theatregoer who has been moved by the power of an unfolding story to ask: 'Then what happens?'
'All theatre directors know that good narrative is the secret of good theatre, but few have as distinctive, rigorous and exceptional a method of exploring that secret as does Mike Alfreds. His system of working, and his thoughts on the making of theatre in our time, are as crucial and illuminating as those of Stanislavsky and Peter Brook have been to generations of theatre enthusiasts and practitioners.' Michael Coveney
'both fascinating and instructive for the general reader as well as practitioners... will prove invaluable to directors, actors and even designers and choreographers... a must have' - British Theatre Guide
'Alfreds' substantial book provides a fascinating insight into [his approach], which has been adopted by many other directors and companies since the 1970s. ... This is an ideal read for anyone who is keen to put storytelling at the heart of performance' - Drama Resource
'Comprehensive, rigorous and practical... a heavyweight book from a heavyweight author' - Theatre in Wales
'Practical and thorough... a very useful book for playwrights and directors' - The Stage

Show book