2. Aristophanes’ Frogs Drama to the Rescue?

3. Prologue: Chorus to Demeter “May I utter much that's funny, / and also much that’s serious” (p. 79)

4. Prologue: The Historical Situation Political-military Oligarchic coup of 411 BCE Peloponnesian War with Sparta Controversial Battle of Arginusae, 406 BCE Exile of Alcibiades Dramatic (death of tragedy?) Aeschylus 456/5 BCE Euripides d. in Macedonia, 406 BCE Sophocles d. 406 BCE Agathon d. Macedonia, 401 BCE

5. Modern Tragedy: General Considerations “Deep relations” between history and literature Modern Tragedy as “crossroads” Experience Literary/dramatic works Theory Consideration of theory and practice and theory as practice Problem of lived versus literary tragedy 23-Mar-25

6. Questions… Is Frogs (partly) serious? What does Frogs seem to say tragedy has to offer? What can that tell us about tragedy itself? in its ancient, Athenian context in general

7. Agenda Aristophanes’ Frogs Background, Structure, Themes, etc. Drama in Performance Frog Chorus (pp. 51 ff.) Discussion Is the Frog Chorus Serious?

8. Aristophanes’ Frogs Background, Structure, Themes, etc.

9. Background, Themes Production (405 BCE) Lenaea (Jan/Feb) 1st prize Political Crises 413 Sicilian Disaster 411 Exile of oligarchs 406 Aegospotamoi Poetic Crises “Tragic” losses Dionysus’ “yearning”

10. Analysis prologue (pp. 15 ff.) Xanthias, Dionysus, Heracles, Corpse, Charon choral dialogue 1 (51) Frog Chorus, Dionysus scene (61) Charon, Dionysus, Xanthias (Empusa) parodos (69) Lyric, chanting, dialogue. Mystic Chorus of initiates, Dionysus, Xanthias scene (87) Dionysus, Xanthias, Aeacus, Maid parabasis (119) advice to the city scene (125) Slaves choral ode (137) Agōn prelude AGŌN (139) Opening arguments (147) Prologues (177) Lyrics (197) Weighing of lines (209) Leadership (219) exodos (229) Pluto, Aeschylus, Chorus. Farewell

11. Drama in Performance Frog Chorus (pp. 51 ff.)

12. Discussion Is the Frog Chorus Serious?

13. Quotations C HORUS OF F ROGS “Brekekekex koax koax” (p. 37) C HORUS OF I NITIATES “May I utter much that's funny, / and also much that’s serious” (p. 79)