The "Birds",first performed in 414 B.C. at the Great Dionysia festival, enfolds 1765 lines and is the second longest theatre play of the ancient literature-only Sophocles "Oidipus at Colonus" is 14 lines longer-and another similiarity both plays link-they only won second prize ( what is often reported from modern scholars with a mix of arrogance and condescension- "this weird Greeks,how could they ignore these masterworks.."-Gentleman you should be more reserved-Bob Dylan won a Nobel Prize but Leo Tolstoi not!).Together with the notorious "Clouds" it is the comedy of Aristophanes where the interpretations mostly drift apart.Best we begin with an overview about the different readings. Summarized there are four varying approaches. The first is to construe it as a "myths parody".There are indisputable scences which support this theory but it can´t explain the meaning of the whole play. Another exegesis was very popular at the end of the 19th century-the view that the "Birds" are a parable -"...a covert satire on Athens overreaching ambition and optimism in undertaking the massive Sicilian expedition"(Hubbard).But nothing in the text supports this strong artificial idea truly-Nikias is mentioned two times(once wonderful ..This is no time/ For napping or shilly-shallying/like Nikias..".lines 638-640) and the "Salaminia",an official ship which summoned Alcibiades back from Sicily to stand trial,also two times. The third interpretation is most prevalent today-to read the play as a "fable comedy", an "escapist fantasy",an enchanting from the world isolated "cloud cuckoo land",a delicate utopian community with irrelevant social dislocations-the Aristophanes scholar MacDowell writes "...the charm of "Birds" is that it is a dramatization of dreams come true." I am utterly convinced the birds stewing on Pisthetairos grill agree joyful! It is undeniable that we will find every of this three elements in the "Birds"-disempowerment of the Gods,critique on the Sicilian expedition (which Aristophanes certainly strictly refused) you can perceive in Pisthetairos great speech to the birds-possibly a persiflage of the address with Alcibiades convinced the simpletons in the assembly and beautiful magic,fairytale and overwhelming funny moments are there in plenty. But the core of the play is another. I quote T.K. Hubbard again-"..Birds turn into a hypercivilized,overstructured totalitarian state,a dystopian nightmare vision of grandiose proportions." This is my personal view of the comedy also. Only some examples. Pisthetairos and his "friend" Euelpides are introduced as man "Seeking an easier-going place/To settle down"(polis apragmon,what means "city of blissful quiet"-freedom from political and legal business).But it seems the true reason they escaped is "You owed money-like we do". And as Tereus asks Pisthetairos what "you really like" he has paedophilic fantasies( btw a technique Aristophanes uses often-the allegdly decent "hero" changes into a villain-Dikaiopolis or Chremylos are further cases). The great oration to the birds debunks him as a sophist-and Aristophanes hated the sophists bc they was responsible in his eyes for destroying the "old",better Athens( what didn´t of course restrain him to use their rhetoric,logics and philosophy blithe and constantly more brilliant than the sophists herself).The main arguments Pisthetairos uses skilful is chosenness (the birds existed long bf the Gods and ruled), greed(look at you here and now, nothing you are but what could you gain with the new bird state we will establish) and revenge(imagine how horrible you will punish your archenemies the fowlers). After the first parabasis Pisthetairos begins more and more to dominate the state affairs-did you ever think about where Euelpides and Tereus are gone-where is the former king of the birds vanished? And the friend? Leo Strauss guesses Euelpides returned to Athens! That is oafish!! Fast cloud cuckoo land changes into a state with restrictive laws,carefully secured gates and an army of bird drudges, patrols,soldiers,cops and henchman! Promptly the first trials take place and the "delinquents" -"Birds,Guilty of subversive activities/Against the Central Government"(sounds familiar,doesn´t it ?) are roasted on a grill "will come in perfectly/For a wedding feast!"-Pisthetairos itself is a bird now! And eating your own species is named cannibalism! His whip he uses constantly meanwhile and at the end Pisthetairos is the new ultimate God. "Most mightiful of powers!/Strike out the chords of victory". And the birds? Anybody seriously thinks there is still their easygoing "long honeymoon" life praised at the inception of the play? "Birds" is an incredible impressive and profoundly shocking tableau of betrayal,hubris,political naivity of the crowds,human recklessness,brutal tyranny,egoism,failed hopes,despotism,megalomania and ultimately desperation! A bad dream of a hell wrapped in cotton wool! K. Popper needed almost 1000 pages to accuse the enemies of an open society-Aristophanes does it with 1765 lines!
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best explaination of this play on youtube
Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful.
The "Birds",first performed in 414 B.C. at the Great Dionysia festival, enfolds 1765 lines and is the second longest theatre play of the ancient literature-only Sophocles "Oidipus at Colonus" is 14 lines longer-and another similiarity both plays link-they only won second prize ( what is often reported from modern scholars with a mix of arrogance and condescension- "this weird Greeks,how could they ignore these masterworks.."-Gentleman you should be more reserved-Bob Dylan won a Nobel Prize but Leo Tolstoi not!).Together with the notorious "Clouds" it is the comedy of Aristophanes where the interpretations mostly drift apart.Best we begin with an overview about the different readings. Summarized there are four varying approaches. The first is to construe it as a "myths parody".There are indisputable scences which support this theory but it can´t explain the meaning of the whole play. Another exegesis was very popular at the end of the 19th century-the view that the "Birds" are a parable -"...a covert satire on Athens overreaching ambition and optimism in undertaking the massive Sicilian expedition"(Hubbard).But nothing in the text supports this strong artificial idea truly-Nikias is mentioned two times(once wonderful ..This is no time/ For napping or shilly-shallying/like Nikias..".lines 638-640) and the "Salaminia",an official ship which summoned Alcibiades back from Sicily to stand trial,also two times. The third interpretation is most prevalent today-to read the play as a "fable comedy", an "escapist fantasy",an enchanting from the world isolated "cloud cuckoo land",a delicate utopian community with irrelevant social dislocations-the Aristophanes scholar MacDowell writes "...the charm of "Birds" is that it is a dramatization of dreams come true." I am utterly convinced the birds stewing on Pisthetairos grill agree joyful! It is undeniable that we will find every of this three elements in the "Birds"-disempowerment of the Gods,critique on the Sicilian expedition (which Aristophanes certainly strictly refused) you can perceive in Pisthetairos great speech to the birds-possibly a persiflage of the address with Alcibiades convinced the simpletons in the assembly and beautiful magic,fairytale and overwhelming funny moments are there in plenty. But the core of the play is another. I quote T.K. Hubbard again-"..Birds turn into a hypercivilized,overstructured totalitarian state,a dystopian nightmare vision of grandiose proportions." This is my personal view of the comedy also. Only some examples. Pisthetairos and his "friend" Euelpides are introduced as man "Seeking an easier-going place/To settle down"(polis apragmon,what means "city of blissful quiet"-freedom from political and legal business).But it seems the true reason they escaped is "You owed money-like we do". And as Tereus asks Pisthetairos what "you really like" he has paedophilic fantasies( btw a technique Aristophanes uses often-the allegdly decent "hero" changes into a villain-Dikaiopolis or Chremylos are further cases). The great oration to the birds debunks him as a sophist-and Aristophanes hated the sophists bc they was responsible in his eyes for destroying the "old",better Athens( what didn´t of course restrain him to use their rhetoric,logics and philosophy blithe and constantly more brilliant than the sophists herself).The main arguments Pisthetairos uses skilful is chosenness (the birds existed long bf the Gods and ruled), greed(look at you here and now, nothing you are but what could you gain with the new bird state we will establish) and revenge(imagine how horrible you will punish your archenemies the fowlers). After the first parabasis Pisthetairos begins more and more to dominate the state affairs-did you ever think about where Euelpides and Tereus are gone-where is the former king of the birds vanished? And the friend? Leo Strauss guesses Euelpides returned to Athens! That is oafish!! Fast cloud cuckoo land changes into a state with restrictive laws,carefully secured gates and an army of bird drudges, patrols,soldiers,cops and henchman! Promptly the first trials take place and the "delinquents" -"Birds,Guilty of subversive activities/Against the Central Government"(sounds familiar,doesn´t it ?) are roasted on a grill "will come in perfectly/For a wedding feast!"-Pisthetairos itself is a bird now! And eating your own species is named cannibalism! His whip he uses constantly meanwhile and at the end Pisthetairos is the new ultimate God. "Most mightiful of powers!/Strike out the chords of victory". And the birds? Anybody seriously thinks there is still their easygoing "long honeymoon" life praised at the inception of the play? "Birds" is an incredible impressive and profoundly shocking tableau of betrayal,hubris,political naivity of the crowds,human recklessness,brutal tyranny,egoism,failed hopes,despotism,megalomania and ultimately desperation! A bad dream of a hell wrapped in cotton wool! K. Popper needed almost 1000 pages to accuse the enemies of an open society-Aristophanes does it with 1765 lines!
This is a great elaboration on the politics of Birds.
This was super helpful! Thanks a lot
Thanks. I'm glad you liked the video.
" ... oligarchic plots to overthrow democracy .... " Gee, things sure were different then, weren't they?
Yeah, who could imagine such a thing today?