lesson 29- The underworld in 'Frogs' by Aristophanes Flashcards
In what ways is Aristophanes presentation of the underworld in ‘Frogs’ in line with tradition?
Frogs depicts the traditional poetic view of the afterlife which can be traced back to the epic poetry of Homer. This portrays the dead as ghosts with their old personalities and memories. Hades itself is a place neither of blessings nor punishment, but the dead would much prefer to be restored to life. The myth of Charon the ferryman is also traditional and Aristophanes alludes to other myths about the underworld, e.g the story that Heracles travelled to Hades to capture the guard dog Cerberus.
In what ways is the underworld gently parodied in ‘Frogs’?
In Frogs, the dead appear to live in Hades in much the same way they lived in the world above, and the playwrights behave as they did in life, although both Aeschylus and Euripides are keen to return to the world above. Elements of the underworld are parodied, for example pluto is a genial host and Heracles is vilified as a common dog thief in relation to the myth in which he captured the guard dog Cerberus.
How is Dionysus’ quest in line with literary tradition?
By travelling down to Hades while alive, Dionysus repeats a folkloric story pattern of the hero who travels into the realm of death to fulfill a quest. Heracles had to travel to Hades as the last of his twelve labours, while Odysseus had to consult the dead to find his way home in Homer’s Odyssey.
How does Dionysus’ motivations for his quest shift from absurd to more heroic?
Dionysus’ motivation at first appears more trivial than those of these heroes, since at the start of the play he compares his desire for Euripides to lust for pea soup or sex. However, as the true nature of his quest is revealed to be the redemption of Athens, his depiction as a hero becomes less absurd; as in the myths of Heracles and Odysseus, it is only by breaching the gulf between death and life that salvation can be achieved.
why are the chorus of initiates appropriate to the underworld context in which the play is set?
The chorus represent another strand in Greek beliefs about the afterlife, since they consist of initiates into the eleusinian mysteries, one of the most important cults in the Greek world, and one open to everyone, male or female, free or slave.
why did Aristophanes have to tread carefully with his inclusion of the initiates and the eleusinian mysteries?
The eleusinian mysteries involved an initiation ceremony which was a secret, and it was a serious offence to reveal the details. Making fun of the mysteries was also considered deeply shocking, and so Aristophanes needed to handle the subject with delicacy to avoid upsetting his audience. For example, Athenian leader Alcibiades was convicted for revealing the epopteia (revelation of the secret during the initiation ceremony) and mocking the mysteries in his home to the uninitiated.
what public and well known elements of the mysteries are referred to in the play?
The chorus in frogs reveal no secret information about the initiation process but they do draw on real aspects of the mysteries, for example their prayer to Demeter or their invocation of the god Iacchus. Iacchus was the god carried in the procession from Athens to Eleusis when the mysteries were celebrated, and this procession would have been public.
How does the founding myth of the mysteries link to one of the central themes of the play?
The chorus’ joy in their worship and the beautiful meadow in which they live reflect the belief that initiation into the mysteries led to rewards in the afterlife. This privileged status is also suggested by the smell of roast pork.
