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The Use Of Oaths In Aristophanic Comedy '

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Aristophanes "Clouds" is another example of impiety as a major theme but how it is represented and dealt with differs from Euripides "Hippolytus" as it is the citizens of Athens who take action rather than the gods intervening in the lives of mortals. Strepsiades, a father and farmer who is in great debt decides to meet with Socrates in hopes that he can learn how to speak in a courtroom against his debt collectors. The man is not an eloquent speaker or very educated, making him quite foolish and gullible to make the conscious decision to abandon his own beliefs for Socrates teachings. Matthew Dillon in his article "By Gods, Tongues, and Dogs: The Use of Oaths in Aristophanic Comedy", while focuses on the importance of oath-taking reveals important …show more content…

(Dillion 145) (14). Similar to "Hippolytus", Strepsiades makes the blasphemous mistake of swearing oaths to air and cloud goddesses but ridicules such oaths towards Zeus, "Ha, ha! That's a good one that is, "by all the gods!" Don't make me laugh! Those of us "in the know" realize that Zeus is just a joke". (1241-1222) (15). The drama concludes with the Chorus, the cloud goddesses punish Strepsiades for following the path of wickedness and deceit, where he forgot the important lesson of showing proper respect to the gods. (1459-1462) (16). Swearing oaths and keeping them to a god was both serious and a sign of respect, breaking that oath meant disaster. Dillon refers to the complex and difficult relationship between Aristophanes and Euripides, where the playwright "Hippolytus" is criticized for undermining the value of oaths. (pg. 142-143) (17). Using the words from Mikalson, Dillion concludes that it is both ironic and unfair for a pious character such as Hippolytus, who had proven to be the most loyal to the gods to be a reflection of Euripides own

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