Athenian democracy Flashcards
Theatre - C. Meier
‘theatre offered spectators a platform for an utterly unique form of institutionalised discussion’
Theatre - P. Vellacott
a dramatist was ‘expected to have a message’
Demagogue - P. Cartledge
‘Athenians were acutely aware of the dangers of persuasive speakers whipping up a crowd’
Demagogue - C. Carey
some ancient commentators named ‘Pericles as the first of the demagogues’ not Kleon
Some of his ‘democratic messages’ were designed to please the people and gain favour
Aristophanes - S. Goldhill
in an age of Donald Trump, ‘Aristophanes may indeed be the best lens through which to look at society’
Aristophanes - A. Spawforth
‘The spirit of Old Comedy is the ordinary man’s protest’
‘unalienable weapons of humour and fantasy’
Aristophanes (defender of democracy) - Edith Hall
Knights- ‘Comedy had fulfilled its democratic role.’
‘comedy was intimately tied to democracy’
Aristophanes (defender of democracy) - M. Scott
‘ridiculous plot to throw light on the political dilemmas’
‘the bawdy backdrop makes the point better than tragedy ever could’
Aristophanes (defender of democracy) - P. Roche
‘not necessarily in favour of oligarchy, he believed that democracy was best served by the brightest minds’ not demagogues
Aristophanes (critic of democracy) - R. Barrow
‘people were not really in control anymore, they were under the thumb of loudmouths like Kleon’
Aristophanes (critic of democracy) - P. Cartledge
‘populist comedy to discredit the political system, deceiving the demos like the politicians he fantastically portrayed’
‘comic trappings’
Aristophanes (critic of democracy) - A. Sommerstein
‘cannot detect any burning attachment to the established democratic system’
Aristophanes (unsure) - C.Carey
‘element of comic distortion means that the evidence of comedy must be approached with caution’
Aristophanes (unsure) - A. Bates
‘natural conservative’
hated the ‘vulgarity and violence of mob-rule’
saw new ideas as a ‘tissue of imposture and impiety’
