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Wasps was first produced at the Lenaea festival of 422 BC. The play is at once a political satire and also, like Clouds and the lost Banqueters, a comedy on the theme of the conflict of generations. The play follows the efforts of a mischievous and mercurial old man to escape the control of a stern and heavy son. In its political aspect it attacks the leading Athenian politician Cleon, as Knights had. But Wasps represents a departure as it concentrates less on Cleon personally, and more on his and his associates' alleged domination of the law-courts and the men who served in them as jurors. First published in 1983, this edition contains addenda and a new bibliography.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The comedy "Wasps" ("Sphekes") by Aristophanes appeals to contemporary audiences because it satrizies the litigiousness of the Athenians. Actually, the play, produced in 422 B.C., is more about the permanent tensions between conserative and liberal politics. Aristophanes is attacking the practice of the politician Cleon's explotation of the large subsidized juries used in by the Athenian legal system. Bdelcylen ("Cleon-hater"), representing the position of the playwright, maintains that pay for public service is the device of demagogues to purchase loyalty. His father Philocleon("Cleon-lover"), a mean and waspish old man who has a passion for serving on juries, represents the Athenians. Bdelcylen arranges for a court to be held at home to hear Philocleon's stupid little case of accusing the house dog of stealing cheese. The old man is cured of his passion for juries, becoming a drunkard instead.
The best scenes in "Wasps" are Philocleon's attempts to escape when Bdelcyclen locks him up and the scene where the poor dog is tried. Certainly this play is representative of Aristophanes as a reformer, who wanted to persuade his audiences to change their foolish ways by ridiculing them on stage. I have always maintained that in studying Greek plays, whether the comedies of Aristophanes or the tragedies of the great dramatists, it is important to understand the particular structure of these plays and the various dramatic conventions of the theater. This involves not only the distinction between episodes and staismons (scenes and songs), but elements like the "agon" (a formal debate on the crucial issue of the play), and the "parabasis" (in which the Chorus partially abandons its dramatic role and addresses the audience directly). "Wasps" is usually considered a second tier comedy by Aristophanes, below "Lysistrata" and "The Clouds," but I still consider it an above-average work. Note: the only comedy written by the French neoclassicist dramatist Jean-Baptiste Racine, "Les Plaideurs" ("The Litigants"), is obviously based on "Wasps."
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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Immortal Comedy
8 Mar 2010
Format:Paperback
As the only ancient Greek comedian whose work has survived, Aristophanes' importance is impossible to exaggerate. He has not only immensely influenced comedy - and drama and literature generally - but is also practically the only source giving any idea what Greek comedy was like, making his work of immense historical value. Of course, as with all comedy that is truly universal, one need not know or even think about any of this. He is more than entertaining in his own right - indeed, still screamingly funny. Reading him, we get a profound sense of just how little comedy has changed. It is not just that what was funny nearly 2,500 years ago is still funny; techniques are basically unchanged, subject matter only being ephemeral. Aristophanes was above all a satirist, which inevitably means that many of the things he mocked and parodied are no longer intelligible without notes. We can still appreciate these with help, but what truly makes him worth reading is that the spirit of the satire - what really matters in contrast to passing fodder - continues to shine through distinctly. Human folly has changed little - has probably only increased if anything. His general observations are thus still funny - and, to those who look below the surface, still damning. Perhaps more immediately, it is striking to see that humor many think of as distinctly modern - religious blasphemy, bathroom humor, sexual humor - was as common and at least as good this long ago. Aristophanes also delights in more "serious" humor like puns and other wordplay; simply put, whether one prefers high- or low-brow, he has something for all. Humor aside, his sheer creativity still impresses; his plots and characters show near-boundless imagination and would be a significant accomplishment in even the most ostensibly serious artist. All this makes him almost unbelievably accessible - in translation of course; his tragedian contemporaries take a certain mindset and considerable dedication to appreciate, all but excluding casual readers. However, anyone can read Aristophanes with enjoyment, which is not the least of his virtues.
The Wasps satirizes the Athenian legal system, particularly jurors, and many of its jeers are sadly still relevant. Though not his best play, it has the considerable virtue of leading one to other Aristophanes works and is more than worthy in itself. One should read most of his other plays before coming here, but anyone who enjoys them will want it eventually.
The Wasps satirizes the Athenian legal system, particularly jurors, and many of its jeers are sadly still relevant. Though not his best play, it has the considerable virtue of leading one to other Aristophanes works and is more than worthy in itself. One should read most of his other plays before coming here, but anyone who enjoys them will want it eventually.
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