Aristophanes is a comedy writer, whose surviving plays are dated from

425-388 BCE. The Wasps is his 4th surviving play, which is a satirical

comedy, attacking the Athenian jury system and law courts.

As a playwright at this time Aristophanes would have been a Greek

citizen with high status and good education, but with a lot of money to be

able to stage these plays. Aristophanes would have been writing, aiming

specifically at his audience. Although anyone in Athens could come to see

the plays they would all know about the law system, and the contemporary

issues and events.

However, many people today watch, and read, Aristophanes' plays,

including The Wasps and still enjoy them. These people realise it was

written for a different culture of people, yet they still understand and enjoy

he plays, and find humour in them.

Aristophanes is a satirical writer. The Encarta World Dictionary

defines this as "the use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to

attack the vices and follies of humankind." In the Wasps Aristophanes is

attacking the jury system of Athens, but he also includes jokes directed at

contemporary figures and events. These jokes would have no meaning to

anyone unfamiliar with the time the play was written. An example of this is

in Xanthias' dream, he sees an eagle turn into Cleonymus and drop a

snake which turned into a shield. This is a reference to the rumours about

Cleonymus, and the fact that he dropped his shield in battle, to run away in

cowardice. Anyone who didn't know this story wouldn't know why Sosias

broke into his tale saying,

"Don't tell me - the snake turned into a shield and he dropped it!"

Yet, once again, modern audiences can guess that this is a reference

to Cleonymus being a known coward. Although the jokes would not have

the instant affect they would on the first audience, modern people would

understand the jokes.

The Wasps is a political satire,...