The Frogs Part 1

The Frogs.

by Aristophanes.

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 deal 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 coa.r.s.eness of many of the jests. Aristophanes seems, indeed, to have been regarded by his contemporaries as a man of n.o.ble 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 att.i.tude of conservatism. The present play is notable also as a piece of elaborate if not over-serious literary criticism from the pen of a great poet._

THE FROGS

OF ARISTOPHANES

DRAMATIS PERSONae

THE G.o.d DIONYSUS

XANTHIAS, his slave

AESCHYLUS

EURIPIDES

HERACLES

PLUTO

CHARON AEACUS, house porter to Pluto

A CORPSE

A MAIDSERVANT OF PERSEPHONE

A LANDLADY IN HADES

PLATHANE, her servant

A CHORUS OF FROGS

A CHORUS OF INITIATED PERSONS

_Attendants at a Funeral;

Women wors.h.i.+pping Iacchus;

Servants of Pluto, &c._

Xanthias

Shall I crack any of those old jokes, master, At which the audience never fail to laugh?

DIONYSUS. Aye, what you will, except I'm getting crushed: Fight shy of that: I'm sick of that already.

XAN. Nothing else smart?

DIO. Aye, save my shoulder's aching.

XAN. Come now, that comical joke?

DIO. With all my heart. Only be careful not to s.h.i.+ft your pole, And- XAN. What?

DIO. And vow that you've a bellyache.

XAN. May I not say I'm overburdened so That if none ease me, I must ease myself?

DIO. For mercy's sake, not till I'm going to vomit.

XAN. What! must I bear these burdens, and not make One of the jokes Ameipsias and Lycis And Phrynichus, in every play they write, Put in the mouths of all their burden-bearers?

DIO. Don't make them; no! I tell you when I see Their plays, and hear those jokes, I come away More than a twelvemonth older than I went.

XAN. O thrice unlucky neck of mine, which now Is getting crushed, yet must not crack its joke!

DIO. Now is not this fine pampered insolence When I myself, Dionysus, son of-Pipkin, Toil on afoot, and let this fellow ride, Taking no trouble, and no burden bearing?

XAN. What, don't I bear?

DIO. How can you when you're riding?

XAN. Why, I bear these.

DIO. How?

XAN. Most unwillingly.

DIO. Does not the donkey bear the load you're bearing?

XAN. Not what I bear myself: by Zeus, not he.

DIO. How can you bear, when you are borne yourself?

XAN. Don't know: but anyhow my shoulder's aching.

DIO. Then since you say the donkey helps you not, You lift him up and carry him in turn.

XAN. O hang it all! why didn't I fight at sea?

You should have smarted bitterly for this.

DIO. Get down, you rascal; I've been trudging on Till now I've reached the portal, where I'm going First to turn in.

Boy! Boy! I say there, Boy!

HERACLES. Who banged the door? How like a prancing Centaur He drove against it! Mercy o' me, what's this?

DIO. Boy.

XAN. Yes.