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Introductory Note
Introductory Note
Aristophanes, the greatest of comic writers in Greek and, in the opinion
of many, in any language, is the only one of the Attic comedians any of whose
works has survived in complete form. He was born in Athens about the middle of
the fifth century B.C., and had his first comedy produced when he was so young
that his name was withheld on account of his youth. He is credited with over
forty plays, eleven of which survive, along with the names and fragments of
some twenty-six others. His satire deals with political, religious, and
literary topics, and with all its humor and fancy is evidently the outcome of
profound conviction and a genuine patriotism. The Attic comedy was produced at
the festivals of Dionysus, which were marked by great license, and to this,
rather than to the individual taste of the poet, must be ascribed the
undoubted coarseness of many of the jests. Aristophanes seems, indeed, to have
been regarded by his contemporaries as a man of noble character. He died
shortly after the production of his "Plutus," in 388 B.C.
"The Frogs" was produced the year after the death of Euripides, and
laments the decay of Greek tragedy which Aristophanes attributed to that
writer. It is an admirable example of the brilliance of his style, and of that
mingling of wit and poetry with rollicking humor and keen satirical point
which is his chief characteristic. Here, as elsewhere, he stands for tradition
against innovation of all kinds, whether in politics, religion, or art. The
hostility to Euripides displayed here and in several other plays, like his
attacks on Socrates, is a result of this attitude of conservatism. The present
play is notable also as a piece of elaborate if not overserious literary
criticism from the pen of a great poet.
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