The Frogs by Aristophanes: Tradition vs. Innovation
The play The Frogs by Aristophanes portrays the subject matter that traditions are valuable and important whereas innovations are meaningless. In the Greek comedy play, which was written around 406 BC the god Dionysus, is dissatisfied with the current state of the Athens and thus travels to Hades, together with his slave, Xanthians, to help bring the greatest tragedic dramatist to life.
The Debate between Aeschylus and Euripides
Dionysus encounters two early Greek tragedians, Aeschylus, and Euripides who compete to decide who between the two should be revived from the dead. Ultimately, Aeschylus is chosen as he answers correctly on how the city of Athens should be saved. Unlike Euripides who uses abstract and less tangible solution, Aeschylus employs a more practical and traditional advice to save the city of Athens thus employing that the old ways are better while the new ways are meaningless. During the poetic debate between the two, Euripides stresses the truths and reality of the Greek people whereas Aeschylus tells of the heroic journey and pride in the Greek culture hence being revived to life. In the Greek community, pride and heroic journey were regarded as the correct way of life.
The Importance of Traditions
Throughout the play, the importance of traditions and old societal ways are emphasized. According to the god Dionysus in the play, only the older and deceased poets in Athens were really talented. He points out that "I need a clever poet. There's none around. The ones we've got are all lousy" (Tucker 12). Thus, Dionysus undertakes his journey to Hades in a bid to being the famed poet Euripides to life, as he had exhorted the people to greater moral heights. On his way to Hades, the chorus of the play describes how the Athenians have lost their ability to judge worthy men. The Athenians criticize the promotion of "Useless men from useless fathers. Men who've come here very recently and whom the men in the past would consider as scapegoats" (Tucker 22). When both poets, Aeschylus and Euripides explore how older tragedies positively impacted the moral characters of the Athenians, Aeschylus stresses that returning the older poetry traditions will help Athens to survive. The play then stresses the strong positive moral force reinforced by plays "There were no runaways, no layabouts, no scoundrels like today. Look back-they've been useful from the start, the noble race of poets" (Tucker 24). Therefore, the play emphasizes the importance of poetry in improving the ability of the Athenians to think intelligently to make wise choices.
Socioeconomic and Political Issues
As a director of the play, a critical analysis of the play is important for it to be better suited to the modern audience. Democracy was first birthed in Ancient Greece, and thus although the play largely emphasizes the importance of old traditions it is significantly intertwined in socioeconomic and political issues. The play stresses the power portrayed by the politicians who have used the country's economic stature to oppress its people. Analyzing the play from the lens of today's slavery and corruption, a lot has changed over the years. In the play, Xanthians serves as a slave belonging to god Dionysus who accompanies him to the underworld to look for a great poet. While the two are in the underground looking for the winner, the chorus in the play illustrates what is happening in the real world and how the Greek citizens are being treated. Therefore, Aristophanes strives to bring to light the socioeconomic struggles and powers of oppression that were occurring at the time the play was written.
The Obsession with Power
The manner in which the gods carry themselves illustrates their obsession with power and in expressing power over their mortals. For example, the manner in which the god Dionysus carries himself and has a slave proves it. Another example is Hercules "The door opens and Hercules steps out, wearing a lion's skin and carrying a club. He's amazed that someone is dressed up to resemble him" (Tucker 26). Wearing lion's skin illustrated that a god had to be powerful enough to win a fight over a fierce animal, which made it easier for the mortals to look up to the gods for guidance thus encouraging power play.
Democracy and Power
In the modern world, democracy is termed as a system where people choose its leaders. However, in the Greek society, the hunger for power results in the oppression of the people where Aristophanes points out that "the most corrupt of all the laundry types, those noblemen who cut the soap with ash, dilute the mix and use Cimolian earth will not be with us long" (Tucker 32). The statement means that it is better to have no leader as opposed to having leaders who oppress the people, especially under a democracy. In the play, the mortals barely have any civil liberties or civil rights thus do not enjoy freedom and protection from the government as is the case in today's government.
Directing the Play for a Modern Audience
Directing the play would require a different staging of its traditional theatrical environment to better suit the current society, such as the elimination of the gods and slaves while elevating the status of the common public under a democratic country. Such is to mean that the staging of the play would be such that mean the changing of its time period to better suit the dynamics of the current generation who may relate to the use of poets but barely exist in the existence of gods with powers to bring people back from the dead (Tucker 38). At an age, where the internet and social media use have dominated the modern society, the play would be twisted to illustrate the importance of art in awakening and portraying the socioeconomic issues especially at a time where the internet has been used as the major means of information gathering and sharing. In the play, the chorus praises Aeschylus and proclaims that it hopes that he will be able to assist Athens with his sound device and thus the theatrical staging of the play will maintain the same narrative plot as a means to emphasize on the importance of poetic arts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, throughout his play, Aristophanes criticizes the Athenian society and especially its political unrest and involvement in the war against Sparta. At the time of the writing of The Frogs, Greek was experiencing political and military power unrest and thus Dionysus sought to go to Hades to save the world. All in all, although the play criticizes the power exercised by the Athenian political figures, it also calls for peace while condemning the oppression of the mortals. Therefore, with the theatrical production of the play, the current evils in the society today must be addressed while the message of maintaining peace and encouraging the civil liberties of the citizens must be emphasized.
Works Cited
Tucker, Thomas George. The Frogs of Aristophanes. Macmillan, 1906.
