Review (PDF) Aristophanes' Clouds
This is an English translation of Aristophanes' famous comedy, Clouds, noted for its critique of philosophy, society and education. It includes essays on Old Comedy and the Theater of Dionysus, suggestions for further reading, notes on production, and a map. Focus Classical Library provides close translations with notes and essays to provide access to understanding Greek culture.
Paperback: 97 pages
Publisher: Focus Information Group; 1 edition (November 1, 1993)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0941051242
ISBN-13: 978-0941051248
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.2 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #209,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #62 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Dramas & Plays > Comedy #127 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Dramas & Plays > Ancient & Classical #1471 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Movements & Periods
The legend is that when Aristophanes' comedy "The Clouds" was first performed in Athens in 423 B.C., his target, Socrates, stood throughout the performance so that everyone in the audience was aware that he was there and hearing what was said of him. The portrait of Socrates clearly satirical and most critics consider it to be inaccurate. But Aristophanes is making fun of Athens' renowned "Think-tank" the "Phrontisterion," the school where the rich young men of Athens were taught the fine art of rhetoric. Instead of anything lofty the comic poet suggests the primary purpose of such an education is to be clever and out-reason greedy creditors. This is an especially good translation of the play, which includes insightful notes and essays on both Old Comedy and the Theater of Dionysus that helps readers understand the conventions of staged comedy at the time of Aristophanes.In this comedy Socrates is consulted by an old rogue, Strepsiades (sometimes translated as "Twisterson"), who is upset with the mountain of debts his playboy son Phidippides, who loves fast horses and fast living. Phidippides agrees to go to Socrates' school of logic where he can learn to make a wrong argument sound right. After graduation is able to use the system of "unjust logic" to outwit his father and kick him out of the family home. The Chorus of Clouds comments on the proceedings and in the end the Phrontisterion is burned to the ground by Strepsiades.The flaw of the play is Aristophanes is trying to satirize the Sophists, who were popularizing a new philosophy that denied the possibility of ever reaching objective truth, he picked the wrong target. The Sophists were mostly teachers who were not native to Athens, such as Isocartes and Gorgias.
Aristophanes' Clouds 4 Texts on Socrates: Plato's Euthyphro, Apology of Socrates, Crito and Aristophanes' Clouds, Revised Edition Clouds, Rain, Clouds Again (I Wonder Why) Aristophanes: Lysistrata (Focus Classical Library) Three Plays by Aristophanes: Staging Women (New Classical Canon) Four Plays by Aristophanes: Lysistrata, The Frogs, A Parliament of Women, Plutus (Wealth) Wealth (The Comedies of Aristophanes, Vol. 2) (The Comedies of Aistophanes, Vol 2) (v. 2) (Ancient Greek Edition) Socrates and Aristophanes Clouds and Clocks: A Story for Children Who Soil How Clouds Hold IT Together: Integrating Architecture with Cloud Deployment Swallowing Clouds: A Playful Journey through Chinese Culture, Language, and Cuisine Dark Clouds over Mt. Kenya Our House in the Clouds: Building a Second Life in the Andes of Ecuador (Louann Atkins Temple Women & Culture) Temple in the Clouds: Faith and Conflict at Preah Vihear Pilgrim of the Clouds: Poems and Essays from Ming Dynasty China (Companions for the Journey) The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds Peterson First Guide to Clouds and Weather Clouds in a Glass of Beer: Simple Experiments in Atmospheric Physics Cosmic Clouds: Birth, Death and Recycling in the Galaxy ("Scientific American" Library)
