Odnos prema društvu u Aristofanovim komedijama / Society in Aristophanic Comedy

Abstract

This paper deals with various aspects of the relationship to society in Aristophanes’ comedies. The analyzes include all eleven preserved plays of Aristophanes, and the focus is primarily on the internal logic and issues of dramatic technique: the initial dramatic situation, characters, action and the relationship between the characters and the plot. In this way, an attempt is made to point out Aristophanes’ dramatic construction of society in the comedies themselves, in order to open up the most important wider, genre and historical problems on that basis. In the introduction of the paper, the framework is briefly established with the help of the basic theses of the traditional approach to Aristophanes, in the context of the study of the so-called political comedy, as Aristophanes’ plays were defined by Albin Lesky. The chapter “Dramatic Construction of Society in Aristophanes’ Comedies” presents the results of the research of all Aristophanes’ plays individually, in accordance with the given methodological principles. On this basis, the chapter “Aristophanes’ Contradictions” develops a discussion on the most important highlighted features of Aristophanes’ poetics, in order to conclude by pointing out the broader problems that the analysis of dramatic technique leads to. On the trail of selected traditional critical literature, but also with the significant influence of examples of a contemporary approach, this paper accepts the regularly emphasized thesis that Aristophanes was deeply rooted in his historical and cultural context, in constant dialogue with current social issues. Nevertheless, although a framework of historical dimension is inevitably introduced, the aim of this paper is to indicate the very technical basis of Aristophanes’ plays, which is claimed to be a reliable literary foundation for discussions about Aristophanes’ social involvement.