ARISTOPHANES’ CLOUDS.
Due: Wednesday, April 21, 2021.
Illustration: Cup by Brygan Circle [GR 1843.11-3.54 (BM
Cat Vases E 75)]. Guard at a door and old man. This scene reminds me of Strepsiades at the door of Socrates’ Phrontesterion in Aristophanes’ Clouds. It is an early red-figure vase, of c. 485-480 BCE, so pre-dates Aristophanes by two generations. Beazley was reminded of the scene from the Iliad 24: Priam at Achilles’ hut. Scenes at doorways are common in comedy, which capitalizes on the humorous possibilities of denying entrance to those who desire it. Hartwig attributes this vase to the ‘Bald-Headed Master’ (Meister mit dem Kahlkopf), but Beazley thinks it is by the Briseis painter. Bloesch is the one who thinks it is in the style of Brygos. [Source: Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum Great Britain Fascicule 17 The British Museum, Fascicule 9, Dyfri Williams, 1993.]
For information on the Dionysia festival and its plays at Athens click HERE.
Aristophanes Clouds Images CLST 1003 Click for the Slides from today’s lecture: Stage Devices, Obscene Words, and Modern Productions of the CLOUDS.
For today’s lecture text, click HERE.
For Some Characteristics of Old Comedy, click HERE
For a Chronology of Attic Comedy, click HERE.
What did ancient comic performances look like? 3. 4. 5. 6.
For a short video clip of the Prologue, click HERE.
For a 12-minute video of UCSC students performing the main AGON of Clouds, click HERE
[FOR SOME THOUGHTS OF PROFESSOR LEVINE
ON RELIGION IN ARISTOPHANES’ CLOUDS, CLICK HERE.]
0. Why is this play called Clouds?
1. What is Strepsiades’ attitude towards War? (6) How is this theme important — or not — in the rest of the play?
2. What is the meaning of Strepsiades’ name, and how does it relate to his role in the play? (notes, page 107)
3. What is the meaning of Pheidippides’ name, and how does it relate to his role in the play? (60ff, and note)
4. How did Strepsiades differ from his wife, and what does this tell us about ancient perceptions of the difference between urban and rural Athenians? (39-55 and 59-72)?
5. What does Strepsiades call the place where he wants Phidippides to go (line 95), and what does he call the men who study there? What is Pheidippides’ first reaction? (100-104)
6. Why does Pheidippides refuse at first to study with Socrates? What does this say about his perception of the philosophers, and of his own life? (103-104; 119)
7. By which gods does Pheidippides swear? (83, 91, 108) Which gods does Strepsiades invoke (1, 121, 127)? What does this tell us about their differences?
8. What is the significance of the discussion about fleas, gnats and a gecko by Socrates and his students? What kind of picture of Socrates and his pupils does this discussion give? (143-174)
9. Why does Strepsiades compare the sophists to Spartans from Pylos? [See Meineck’s note to line 186 on page 110] When was this play produced in relation to the capture of Spartans at Sphacteria?
10. Why does Strepsiades not believe that Athens is on the map? What does this say about his character? (206-218)
11. What gods does Socrates invoke while initiating Strepsiades? What does this tell us about the comic perception of his piety? (lines 263-266)
12. What is Strepsiades’ reaction to the imminent arrival of the chorus of Clouds? What does this tell us about his character? (267-295)
13. In what way is the parodos (chorus entrance) patriotic? (299ff.)
14. How does this comedy make fun of contemporary Athenians like Xenophantus, Simon, Cleonymus, and Cleisthenes? (344-388)
15. How does Socrates ‘prove’ that Zeus doesn’t exist? How does Strepsiades bring the discussion ‘down to earth’? (365 ff.)
16. What analogy does Socrates use to explain the ‘true’ origin of rain and thunder? (369-378)
17. What analogy does Strepsiades use to confirm Socrates’ explanation of thunder? (388) of lightening? (408))
18. What is Strepsiades’ reaction when the Chorus tells him that they have the power to carry motions in the assembly (demos, lines 431-434), and what does this tell us about his attitude towards Justice and the state? What is the pun on his own name at line 433?
19. How do the Clouds suggest that the Athenians should deal with their general Cleon? (575-594)
20. What is Strepsiades really doing when he should be contemplating? What does this tell us about the nature of Old Comedy? (731 ff.)
21. In the Agon, Inferior Argument debates with Superior Argument. What is an arguments or point that each makes? (961-1104)
22. Which point finally wins over Superior Argument to the side of Inferior Argument?
23. What is the Greek word which Meineck translates as ‘gay’ (1089 ff.)? What does the use of this word tell us about the nature of Old Comedy?
24. How does Strepsiades finally get rid of his second creditor? (1262-1299)
25. How does Pheidippides ‘prove’ that he is right to beat his father? (1321 ff.)
26. How does the Chorus leader make a pun on Strepsiades’ name? (1455) (Hint, see the note on page 107)
27. What do baby and fatherly bowel movements have to do with Phidippides’ and Strepsiades’ argument? (1380 ff)
28. How does Strepsiades have a change in his religious outlook at the end of the play? (1476 ff.)
29. How does Strepsiades vent his frustration on Socrates’ school? What kind of ending would you call this to the play? How does it satisfy — or not? (1493 ff.)
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