To the citizens of Athens in 405 BC, The Frogs would have been a hilarious comedy with a sting in the tail in the form of a objective message on the current political state of Athens. According to Mrs Harding, stand in Classics teacher, The Frogs: .
was written as a funny play with a message at the butt of the jokes.
As this quotation shows, not only does Mrs Harding have a sound grasp of classics, but that Aristophanes used his humour to convey a serious message. When the leader of the chorus says the fateful words, in the parabasis he is merely showing the poets beliefs; i.e.: portraying Aristophanes" views. .
Aristophanes" plays are and abstract form of political campaigning. By presenting the play in a certain way he is trying to influence senior Athenian citizens to align their views with his.
Aristophanes believes that Athens is lost unless they listen and act on his sound advice. Through the poets argument in the second Agon, he is portraying certain styles of advice. Euripides represents the current, new way of doing things and is vulgar and uncouth when compared to Aeschylus. Aeschylus represents the older, greater, views of older Athens- in the days of the defeat of Persia. He is more eloquent, refined and elegant as fits his advice. When Dionysus declares him the winner of the poets competition, he is showing Athens that they need to pay attention to the older views, if they are to save Athens from the Spartans.
Xanthias plays the slave- the average Athenian, disgruntled with his lot but unable to see past the mistakes of the day. It is Dionysus, the god, for all his stupid behaviour and idiotic comments that bring the true wisdom to the for. Perhaps Aristophanes was showing that the old way of thinking was ridiculed in Athens even though it is wiser and grander. Much like Xanthias the slave ridiculing Dionysus the god. On the other hand, it could just be for fun. I personally think it is a combination of serious message and colourful japes.
