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Aristophanes The Frog Analysis

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In case of fifth century Athens politics needs reformation so Aristophanes brought the corruption of political leaders on stage. Chorus in the Frogs: Muse of the sacred dances, advance and come to enjoy my song, to see the great throng of people, where wits sit by the thousand more honorable than Cleophon, on whose babbling lips roars terribly a Thracian swallow sitting on an alien leaf. (675-84) Oratory had evidently fallen from her high estate. That the eloquence of Cleophon was of an inferior order. Without any pretenceto the thunders and lightnings which Pericles had thrown into his addresses to the people, the eloquence of Cleophon seems to have been inferior even to the fluent and powerful oratory of Cleon. The poet asserts the duty of …show more content…

Dionysus himself plays at least as many roles as there are settings, before a variety of 'audiences '; a brief run through the scenes is necessary to bring out the complexities of his personality. In the beginning he played the role of a master who has master slave conversation with his slave. A master is considered to be a man of unchallenged authority, power, bravery, courage and has leadership qualities. On contrary Dionysus behaves like a fool, much less clever than his slave Xanthias. In The Frogs Dionysus, God of theatre, behave like a buffoon. He is wearing lion-skin and club like Heracles. He dressed up like Heracles so by appearance he seems like a brave man but his actions are much like a coward. Dionysus had a dual personality, calm and wild. His parents were a god and a mortal making him a demigod. According to mythology he has experienced pain of death so now being a lover of tragedy he wanted to go to Hades to bring back Euripides. During this journey he didn’t want to experience the pain and suffering of death again and he wanted to go the way through which Heracles went to Hades. Throughout his journey he alternate personalities according to situation to overcome stress. As Morton Prince said about multiple …show more content…

The personalities seem often to be opposite; a retiring, highly moralistic person may on occasion behave in an immoral manner.” (325) Moreover when Dionysus and his servant Xanthias reached Hades Dionysus, god of theatre, was afraid of pain when Aeacus threaten him considering him Heracles. Dionysus said to Xanthias: ‘I made a mess. Call the god’.(481)Xanthias replied that ‘Of Gods and men you surely are the biggest coward.’(492)Here even Xanthias his slave is not treating him like a god because of his different persona. . Jung 's conception of persona, a sort of mask we create and wear in society, is highly relevant here. When Dionysus said to Xanthias” ‘ Well now, since you 're so brave and heroic, you be me, and take my

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