Aristophanes

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Aristophanes (c.448–c.380 bc) Greek writer of comedies. Of his more than 40 plays, only 11 survive, the only extant comedies from the period. All follow the same basic plan: caricatures of contemporary Athenians become involved in absurd situations. Graceful, choral lyrics frame caustic personal attacks. A conservative, Aristophanes parodied Euripides' innovations in drama, and satirized the philosophical radicalism of Socrates and Athens' expansionist policies. The importance of the chorus in the early works is reflected in titles such as The Wasps (422 bc), The Birds (414 bc), and The Frogs (405 bc). Other notable plays include The Clouds (423 bc) and Lysistrata (411 bc).

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