Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
The University of Michigan Press (1962), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 100 pages
Description
Among extant Greek comedies, the Frogs is unique for the light it throws on Classical Greek attitudes toward tragedy and literature in general. It merits a much more extensive commentary than it has so far received, and the establishment of the text itself has rested for over a century on collations which were inadequate and inaccurate. At the same time, its most problematic passages have been the subject, in recent years, of more scholarly articles than those of any other Greek play. In this introduction, edition, and commentary, Sir Kenneth Dover presents the relevant data, arguments, and considerations as fully as can reasonably be done in one volume.
User reviews
LibraryThing member hbergander
As is well known, the god Dionysus likes to bring Euripides, who has recently died, back to the quick. But when he comes to Hades, it turns out to become a competition between Euripides and Aeschylus, who is the greater poet. Now, who should be saved? I saw the play in the sixties. In a
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South-German fringe theatre. With croaking from an audio tape. Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
While parts of this play were opaque to me (I assume references to other classical Greek plays that I have not read), other sections were quite amusing. I particularly enjoyed the fight between Aeschylus and Euripides for the position of best (dead) writer of tragedy!
LibraryThing member Velmeran
It's funny if you know the history and like bawdy jokes.
LibraryThing member booktsunami
I thought it was about time that I did something about my lack of a "classical" education and found this in the bargains section so why not. I'd tried once before......attending a production of "The birds" which was produced by my Philosophy lecturer. Suffice to say, I had no idea what was going on
So am I any the wiser for my reading? Not much. I think I will have to read a few more of these classic plays and do the background research to understand what they were really writing about. There was the odd spot where even I could pick up the humour ...such as when they are trying to prove their immortality by not feeling pain when whipped. But (like most humour) it doesn't survive translation or change in context too well.
I'll give it the benefit of the doubt but it's hard going so only one star from me.
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and was profoundly bored. So same playwright and an animal theme....what did I have to lose apart from an hour or two of my time. Ok. I've read it and even read the accompanying notes which were pretty helpful. Clearly, it would have even been more helpful to be a native Athenian at the time the plays were being produced...because a lot of the humour is clearly focused on well known individuals etc. Even the audience is berated for their shortcomings. However, I'm afraid that the subtlety of the plot with Aeschylus as the old master dramatist being offset against the newer trendier Euripides....and Aeschylus seemingly coming out on top. I must say that I was expecting a lot more from the frogs but they only seem to appear during the boat ride across the lake with the boatman Charon. And that's it. Nor do they seem to add a great deal of content. So am I any the wiser for my reading? Not much. I think I will have to read a few more of these classic plays and do the background research to understand what they were really writing about. There was the odd spot where even I could pick up the humour ...such as when they are trying to prove their immortality by not feeling pain when whipped. But (like most humour) it doesn't survive translation or change in context too well.
I'll give it the benefit of the doubt but it's hard going so only one star from me.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
While parts of this play were opaque to me (I assume references to other classical Greek plays that I have not read), other sections were quite amusing. I particularly enjoyed the fight between Aeschylus and Euripides for the position of best (dead) writer of tragedy!
LibraryThing member TheCrow2
A classical Greek comedy about Dionysus travelling to the underworld to bring back Aeschylus.
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
405 BCE
405 BC
Physical description
100 p.; 9 inches
ISBN
1399446584 / 9781399446587