Aristophanes – Frogs Jana Malínková, Natálie Tvrdá, Žaneta Tondrová The plot •Dionysus (with his servant Xanthias) goes to the Underworld to get the great poet Euripides back •He asks Heracles for a way and is dressed like him (as a parody of the story how Heracles went to the Underworld for Cerberos) •He rows the boat with Charon while being accompanied by the chorus of frogs •In the Underworld Euripides and Aeschylus are arguing over the throne for the best poet •A poetry competition takes place – Dionysus decides the winner is Aeschylus and takes him on the Ground instead of Euripides 530 500 450 400 380 350 550 Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides Aristophanes Vulgarisms •Xanthias Can I say the really funny one? •Dionysus Of course, Go right ahead—but don't let me catch you saying this. •Xanthias What's that? •Dionysus That you must shift your pack to ease yourself. •Aeacus By Zeus our Saviour, a real gentleman is your master. •Xanthias Of course he's a real gentleman, he only knows how to drink and screw. Humour •before they went to the Underworld, Dionysus wanted a dead man to take their heavy bags. •Dionysus And sure enough, they're bringing out a corpse right here. Hallo you there ! —you, the dead man, I mean; Will you take this baggage down to Hell? •Corpse Will you pay two drachmas? •Dionysus God no, less than that. •[…] •Corpse If you don't put down two drachmas, no deal. •Dionysus Come, take nine obols. •Corpse I'd rather be alive again. Interaction with the audience •Dionysus Have you met here with any parricides [murder of one’s father] Or perjurers [similar to a liar], as he told us? •Xanthias Haven't you? •Dionysus By Poseidon, yes. l think I see some now. Looking to the audience. (when they see Empusa) •Dionysus Where can I escape? •Xanthias And where can I? •Dionysus (begs a priest sitting in the first row) Oh priest, preserve me now, to be your drinking buddy. (after Empusa’s gone) •Dionysus Good grief, how I grew pale at the sight of her. •Xanthias (points at the priest) But this thing of yours got stained reddish brown with fear. Criticizing other poets at the time •Heracles • And where's Xenocles? •Dionysus Oh, God! May he drop dead! •Heracles What of Pythangelus? •Xanthias No word of me, long suffering with this shoulder ache of mine! Empusa •Xanthias And now, by Zeus, l see a monstrous beast. •Dionysus What kind? •Xanthias O horrible! it takes all kinds of shapes, Now it's an ox, and now a mule, and now A lovely woman. •Dionysus Where is she? I'll go meet her. •Xanthias Wait, now it's not a woman, but a bitch. •Dionysus Why, this must be Empusa. •Xanthias Ah! her whole face burns like fire. •Dionysus Does she have a leg of bronze? •Xanthias By Poseidon, yes, • and the other is cow dung. • Be sure of it. •Dionysus Where can I escape? • https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mythology/images/a/a4/Empusa-0.png/revision/latest?cb=201804042 11606 Mythological creatures •Aeacus • O you abominable, you shameless reckless wretch— villain, villain, damned smiling villain— the man who made off with Cerberus my dog! You grabbed him by the throat and throttled him, then took off on the run, while I stood guard. Now you’re caught—black-hearted Stygian rocks, and blood-dripping peaks of Acheron will hold you down. Roaming hounds of Cocytus will gnaw your guts to bits—Echnida, too, and she’s a hundred heads. The Tartesian eel will chew your lungs, your kidneys bleed from entrails Tithrasian Gorgons rip apart. • https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Hercules_and_Cerberus_LACMA_65.37.151.jpg /1024px-Hercules_and_Cerberus_LACMA_65.37.151.jpg Cerberus https://pm1.narvii.com/6665/3dadc12009f99dcd84b65d07e492fac932b3ac08_hq.jpg Griffin https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/warriorsofmyth/images/b/ba/Hippocervus_Hippocervo_Hipocervo_Hir cocervus_Tragelaphos_Tragelaphus_Tragelaph_Tragelafo.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120302044419 Tragelaphos http://nd01.jxs.cz/235/008/06402a5292_51776378_o2.jpg Sfinx https://pm1.narvii.com/7244/3bef148c9879ee7064c12eca336e7d6cd8c77998r1-600-839v2_hq.jpg Echidna • https://scontent-prg1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/74478434_518529952274476_3613819348671528960_n.jp g?_nc_cat=108&_nc_oc=AQniHKw9hKtVOnASbaZFQGiQvLgySexJGaunL9YkpYYUmjGdmiIxQdDp97PDjtEoCAA&_nc_ht=sco ntent-prg1-1.xx&oh=d2bcc5e17319c1e92a9032572e0ae1d6&oe=5E63D0A1 Typhon https://i.imgur.com/1LZmHdA.png The Gorgons Frogs •Charon tells Dionysus: •You’ll hear lovely melodies once you make the effort. • The amazing music of the swan frogs. •[…] [As the small boat begins to move, the Chorus of Frogs is heard from off stage.] •CHORUS OF FROGS • Brekekekex koax koax Brekekekex koax koax. Children of the marsh and lake harmonious song now sweetly make, our own enchanting melodies koax koax. […] Brekekekex koax koax. http://www.cambridgeblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/the-frogs-615x290.jpg •DIONYSUS [still rowing] • I’m starting to get a pain in the ass from all your koax koax. • •CHORUS OF FROGS • Brekekekex koax koax. •[…] •DIONYSUS • Piss off—and take that koax koax with you. Nothing but koax koax. •[…] •DIONYSUS • Stop it, you music-loving tribe! • •CHORUS OF FROGS • No, no. We’ll sing on all the more— if we’ve ever hopped on shore • on sunny days through weeds and rushes rejoicing in our lovely songs as we dive and dive once more, or as from Zeus’ rain we flee to sing our varied harmonies at the bottom of the marsh, our bubble-splashing melodies. • […] •DIONYSUS Go on. Keep croaking. I don’t care. •CHORUS OF FROGS We’ll croak on ’til our throats wear out. We’ll croak all day. •DIONYSUS Brekekekex koax koax You never beat me in this play! •CHORUS OF FROGS And you’ve no chance to win your way, not matched with us. •DIONYSUS And you’ve no hope outdoing me. No, no. If I must I’ll yell all day, koaxing you to get my way— Brekekekex koax koax [Dionysus listens for a response from the Chorus, but there is none.] You see. Sooner or later I was going to win— and make you stop your harsh koaxing din. Sources •English translation by Matthew Dillon: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0032 •English translation by Ian Johnston: http://johnstoniatexts.x10host.com/aristophanes/frogshtml.html • •Images: •https://data.whicdn.com/images/233280303/original.jpg •http://www.cambridgeblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/the-frogs-615x290.jpg •https://mythology.wikia.org/wiki/Empusa •https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus •https://aminoapps.com/c/mythology/page/blog/griffin/evjQ_vbi3udLGe7X8LNwLXpMKVBPdZxMlX?fbclid=IwAR 3Ec_iy_eYmgGK_H-cG1RzjbiXoeQ-nBUKPZlSeFxwRkErDLzed5D25ozg •https://warriorsofmyth.fandom.com/wiki/Hircocervus •http://magical-angels.blog.cz/en/1202/sfinx •https://aminoapps.com/c/pagans-witches/page/blog/echidna-mother-of-all-monsters/D851_aW6sPum2JnP4b 1EGVoePJ53MEx1gB1?fbclid=IwAR2wOIUPHGDeNGzZYzB3VZ47zwPGQKXVOkRlUfSKqtOmB-7HqVMYih5LWuo •https://imgur.com/gallery/zFZnP?fbclid=IwAR1WVf77t47hjEE-qNo2oxcrI8HS8Ic96SUhG9yvftdAOqbiHt5aKhkrM j0 THE END