Frogs

• [Katabasis] The Greek word for heroic decent into the underworld
• Dionysus' first appearance he is dressed as Herakles
• Dionysus goes to Herakles to ask for his advice on descending to the underworld
• Herakles had to go to the underworld to get Cerberus
• Dionysus is shown as incompetent as he has to row himself across the Styx
• Xanthias is forced to carry all the bags and enters seated on a donkey
• Aristophanes wrote frogs in early 405bc
• Phrynichus and Ameipsias are contemporary comedy writers
• Throughout Frogs Dionysus is portrayed as ungodly and ridiculous
• Herakles' costume consists of a yellow cloak, lion skin and wooden club
• throughout the first half Xanthias upstages the main action with complaints of his treatment
• The first chorus is made up of Swan frogs who argue with Dionysus
• The front seats of the theatre were reserved for priests and prominent politicians
• Pine torches and flute music were associated with religious festivals
• [Prologue] Dionysus and Xanthias find Herakles and cross the river Styx descending to the underworld
• [Parodos] The Initiates enter and list the people allowed and not allowed to dance with them
• [Episode 1] Dionysus and Xanthias navigate the underworld, encountering Pluto's staff and frequently changing costumes
• [parabasis] the political message delivered by the chorus leader to the audience, arguing for forgiveness and a second golden age of politics
• [Episode 2] Xanthias talks to Pluto's slave. Dionysus needs to decide which poet to bring back from the dead to save Athens
• [Exodos] a final prayer for Athens' safety
• Positives of Euripides

  • Popular
  • Eloquent
  • Confident
  • Made tragedy accessible
  • Democratic plays
• Positives of Aeschylus

  • Supporters are good people
  • His plays didn't die with him
  • Noble plays
  • Best at lyric poetry
  • Original
• Negatives of Euripides

  • Slippery arguments
  • Cocky and full of himself
  • Plagiarized Cretan monodies
  • Indecent characters
  • Atheist
  • Predictable and clumsy metre
• Negatives of Aeschylus

  • Angry and bull-like
  • Dense language
  • Nothing happens in his plays
  • Accompanied by a Cithara
  • Pleonastic language
  • Brooding and silent Characters