“THE WASPS “ BY
ARISTOPHANES
,Greek Comedy
■ An ancient Greek comedy is put into one of two categories based on the date it was
written.
■ Comedies written in the 5th century BCE are considered Old Comedy.
■ Ancient Greek comedies tended to make fun of prominent public figures. Playwrights
focused their satire on other artists, philosophical thinkers, and politicians.
■ Greek comedies usually began with a choral ode called a parodos.
■ The play was typically named after the chorus such as in The Wasps.
,Continue…
■ Following the parodos was the agon. The agon featured a competition or argument
between the main characters.
■ Another choral ode called the parabis followed the agon.
■ The chorus sang or spoke to the audience to explain aspects of the play or speak for th
author.
■ The exodus was the final scene of the play where the chorus sang their final choral ode
Comedies always had a happy ending.
, Author’s Biography
■ The playwright known as Aristophanes was born in the Greek city of Athens between
450 BCE and 445 BCE.
■ Aristophanes was born into a wealthy family and had a very good formal education
that focused on literature.
■ Aristophanes spent most of his childhood in Athens. During this time Athens was one o
the two major powers in Greece.
■ It had the distinction of being the cultural and artistic center of Greece which is a
reason why Aristophanes rose to fame as a playwright.
ARISTOPHANES
,Greek Comedy
■ An ancient Greek comedy is put into one of two categories based on the date it was
written.
■ Comedies written in the 5th century BCE are considered Old Comedy.
■ Ancient Greek comedies tended to make fun of prominent public figures. Playwrights
focused their satire on other artists, philosophical thinkers, and politicians.
■ Greek comedies usually began with a choral ode called a parodos.
■ The play was typically named after the chorus such as in The Wasps.
,Continue…
■ Following the parodos was the agon. The agon featured a competition or argument
between the main characters.
■ Another choral ode called the parabis followed the agon.
■ The chorus sang or spoke to the audience to explain aspects of the play or speak for th
author.
■ The exodus was the final scene of the play where the chorus sang their final choral ode
Comedies always had a happy ending.
, Author’s Biography
■ The playwright known as Aristophanes was born in the Greek city of Athens between
450 BCE and 445 BCE.
■ Aristophanes was born into a wealthy family and had a very good formal education
that focused on literature.
■ Aristophanes spent most of his childhood in Athens. During this time Athens was one o
the two major powers in Greece.
■ It had the distinction of being the cultural and artistic center of Greece which is a
reason why Aristophanes rose to fame as a playwright.
