Lysistrata & Other Plays: The Acharnians, the Clouds, Lysistrata (Penguin Classics)

Rating:
Summary: the father of western comedy...
Review: Brilliantly written and translated (quite a feat considering the many word-plays in ancient Greek...), this book, or any of Arsitophanes' plays for that matter, are a must read. When the King of Syracuse asked Plato what he should read to understand how the average Athenian thought, he was instructed to read Aristophanes. You will be absolutely fascinated to see just how 'modern' the humour is, or, as the introduction explains, how 'ancient' our modern comedy is.

The Clouds is the imfamous play that Plato criticised Aristophanes over after the death of Socrates: he claimed that the parody of his teacher helped those who secured Socrates' death. I'd like to think Socrates did not concur. Also, the Lysistrata is often used as a proto-feminist play and anti-war, but it is actualy much more anti-civil war; those that considered it to be a statement against going to war in Iraq have obviously not studied Aristophanes enough...