1. TOPIC ONE: ARISTOPHANES’ COMEDIES 2007 EXTRACT C DIONYSUS [singing at the top of his voice]: … king of the might deep, Poseidon, lord of the crags and cliffs … AEACUS: I’m blest if I can tell which of you is the god. Y have to come inside. The master and Persephone’ll be able to tell all right: they’re gods themselves. DIONYSUS: I must say I wish you’d thought of that a bit sooner. [DIONYSUS and XANTHIAS go in, followed by AEACUS and the SLAVES.] CHORUS: Come, Muse of the holy dancing choir, With wit and charm our songs inspire! Here sit ten thousand men of sense, A very enlightened audience, Who expect a lot of a dancing choir And set their hopes of honour higher Than CLEOPHON – for he has heard The warning of a fateful bird, A rather enigmatic swallow Whose words, though difficult to follow, Should not defy interpretation When once translated from the Thracian. And this is what the mystic fowl Like plaintive nightingale doth howl ‘You always vote “agin”, but wait! Next time – or next – you’re for it – mate!’ [The LEADER comes forward and addresses the audience.] LEADER:We chorus folk two privileges prize: To amuse you, citizens, and to advise. So, mid the fun that marks this sacred day, We’ll put on serious looks, and say our say. And first for those misguided souls I plead Who in the past to PHRYNICHUS paid heed. ‘Tis history now – their folly they regret; The time has come to pardon and forget. - Aristophanes, Frogs

2. (a) (i) Who is Aeacus? (ii)What was Dionysus’ reaction when first threatened by Aeacus, upon his arrival in Hades? Questi on EvidenceAchMerExc (a)(i)Doorkeeper of the Underworld / one of the three judges (ii) Wet or soiled his pants / gave an involuntary “libation” / collapsed in terror. BOTH parts are required.

3. (b) (i) Apart from Aeacus, who else in the Underworld was displeased to see Dionysus (thinking he was Heracles)? (ii) Why were they displeased? QuEvidenceAchMerExc (b)(i) The landladies (ii)Heracles ate all their food when he came to the Underworld / did not pay the bill for all the food he ate / had attacked one of them with a sword. BOTH parts are required.

4. (C) Explain ONE reason why the audience may have been laughing at the start of this extract, when Dionysus is singing. QuEvidenceAchMerExc (c)Any ONE of: It is the culmination of a slapstick scene with lots of beating. Dionysus is trying to disguise his pain (after being poked in the stomach) (by Aeacus). The god is behaving in a very “ungodlike” way. (Other answers possible.)

5. QuEvidenceAchMerExc (d)(i)Pluto (ii)She is his wife / queen of Hades. BOTH parts are required. (d)(i) Name the “master” (line 4). (ii)Why is Persephone mentioned (line 4)?

6. QuEvidenceAchMerEx (e) (i)Eg Dionysus does not behave like a god. He feels pain when he is beaten – he is singing at the top of his voice to conceal this. Dionysus is not treated like a god by Xanthias, who suggests that his master be tortured to find out the truth. Dionysus and Xanthias keep changing roles, each pretending to be the other. At this point, it is Xanthias who is dressed as Heracles. (One full point or two partial needed. Other answers possible – textual reference required.) (ii)The end of the Peloponnesian War was a time of great social instability / who was a slave and who was not. Slaves had been enfranchised as a result of their participation / rowing in the (sea) battle (of Arginusae), and the upper classes no longer exercised a dominant role in the government of the city. (two out of the three points needed) ONE part fully answer ed or TWO parts partially answer ed. TWO parts fully answere d are required. (e) (i) Explain why it has been difficult for Aeacus to discover whether it is Dionysus or Xanthias who is telling the truth about his identity. Support your answer with evidence from the play. (ii) How does this confusion about identity reflect the social situation of Athens at the time the play was first performed?

7. QuEvidenceAchMerExc (f)(i)Dionysus stops being an indecisive, cowardly man who hides behind his own slave when he is threatened and becomes a confident god who can make perceptive decisions. Eg Dionysus is able to choose the correct poet / decides to take Aeschylus back / chooses the poet who will be the most beneficial to Athens (at a time of social disintegration). (Two points needed, a before and an after) (ii)The god, regaining his own identity, gives hope that Athens can do the same. ONE part fully ans’d or TWO parts partly ans’d. 2 parts fully ans’d are requir ed. (f) (i) In the scenes that follow this extract, Dionysus begins judging the competition to decide the best tragic poet. In what way does Dionysus’ character change at this point? Provide evidence from the text to show how he is portrayed both early in the play and once the competition begins. (ii) Explain why the audience might have seen this change in Dionysus’ personality as a message of optimism.

8. QuEvidenceAchMerExc (h) (i) (ii) ( i) Parabasis. To be the mouthpiece of the author / give the author’s views on political or social concerns. (ii) The Leader says the Athenians should “pardon and forget” the folly of the citizens who supported the oligarchs in the revolution of 411 and were disenfranchised because of this. Phrynichus was one of the leaders of the oligarchs. Any TWO points fully answer ed or THREE points partially answer ed. Any THREE points fully answere d or FOUR points partially answere d. FOUR points fully answered are required. (g) (i)In this extract, the Chorus speaks directly to the audience. Give the Greek term for this part of the play and explain its purpose. (ii)Explain in detail ONE serious idea the Leader of the Chorus is conveying to the audience in lines 29 to 32 of this extract.

9. (h) (iii)Discuss TWO other serious points made by the Leader of the Chorus and / or the Chorus in the remaining sections of this address to the audience. Do not repeat information used elsewhere. (iii)Eg: The slaves who rowed at Arginusae deserved to be made citizens, but this was for only one battle; Athenians who have served in many battles should be rewarded for their loyalty. The politician Cleigenes, a corrupt “rascal” opposed to peace with Sparta, will soon lose his power. Politicians in power are compared to the “shoddy silver-plated coppers” then in circulation; those who have lost their citizenship are compared to the old solid coins of silver and gold, which have ceased to circulate. The citizens of Athens must choose good men to lead them, before it is too late to save the city. Cleophon is in a dangerous position eg next time you’re for it mate (TWO examples needed, with evidence from the text. Other answers possible.)