Aristophanes Flashcards
Who is Aristophanes
- (arguably) The reigning “king of comedy in Athens
- The preeminent playwright of Old Comedy - very witty, biting, even raw comedy, often making fun of specific people in the city (including Socrates)
- Another of the “last men standing”
How is Love defined by Aristophanes - is it a god or some other being?
- love is a very powerful male God,
- love between two people is told through the myth of love - one being split into two, ever destined to find each other
- “people have completely failed to appreciate how powerful Love is;
- otherwise, they’d have built vast temples and altars in his honour”
How is Love’s power described by Aristophanes?
- Love is described as the ultimate power
- “there’s no god who looks out for mankind’s interests more than Love.”
- “it is Love we should praise”
Aristophanes - What is said about bad love? What are its risks or dangers?
- Society can force men and women to marry though they love men only:
- “when they become men, they’re sexually attracted to boys and would have nothing to do with marriage and procreation if convention didn’t override their natural inclinations”
What is said by Aristophanes regarding pederasty, homosexuality or heterosexuality?
- “male-female relationships leading to procreation”
- But homosexual ones “at least involve sexual satisfaction” and boys who “fall in love with “men” are “inherently more manly than others”
- Thus, Aristophanes portrays homosexual relationships as more desirable and virtuous - varities of sexual enjoyment
What is the role of women refferred to, or what attitudes are shown towards women?
- men and women only seem to get together for procreation and the pressure of society -
- thus women are only important for procreation
- male and female love is not really discussed
Aristophanes other ideas - man backgrounds?
- “love” is just the name we give to the desire for and pursuit of wholeness.” - defines love as human need for self-completion
- there used to be 3 human genders, male - sun, female - earth, combined - moon
- homer - Ephilates & Otus tried to mount up to the heavens, eus thought they should be weakened enough to act in moderation - every half missed its mother half once zeus split human race in half
What other key ideas are explored here?
- “We human beings will never attain happiness unless we find perfect love”
- Aristophanes sees sex as a key feature in love, which some poets may not agree with, and Athenians too would disagree (not marrying out of love)
- “sex is the reason they’re each so eager and happy to be in the other’s company.”
why might Aristophanes’ speech appear shallow
- '’male speeches would at least involve sexual satisfaction, so that people would relax, get on with their work & take care of other aspects of life’’
Modern appeal of aristophanes’ speech - scholarship?
“Aristophanes’ speech fits in well with our own romantic ideals of love. (Sheffield)
What would Socrates question about Aristophane’s speech
*Socrates would question such a view that sexual union alone is the path to happiness.’ (Sheffield)
Sheffield
why do we question Aristophanes
- he suggests loved ones make us whole, but this is said amongst comic motifs & by a comic playwright
Sheffield
What are some limitations of Aristophanes
- too simplistic
- seemingly love is associated with happiness, but he can’t articulate a response
Sheffield
What are the thoughts on unity
- love is a pursuit of unity as we are double creatures
