Abstract

As demonstrated with the play Knights, the Athenian citizens seemed to have a mixed reception of Aristophanes. They gave him the first prize in the Laenian, but they voted to renew the politician Cleon, Aristophanes enemy and the antagonist in the Knights, in his role of general. This paper will compare Aristophane’s reception in his home country and in modern Italy. More than 2400 years later, this time in Italy, his political commentaries were not absorbed, and they were left behind as part of the play, rather than as advice to be pondered by the public. The most modern example of this inability to absorb the play’s meaning is in the performance of Frogs in 2002, where the author’s modernization of the play was censured for its attack against then prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and other right-wing politicians. The 2002 rendition of the Athenian play proved annoying enough for the right-wing party, the first receiver of the play, to threaten the cutting of funds, or the removal from theaters altogether. However, this action did not upset the director at first, and the audience did not consider it invasive or depriving.This paper will compare Aristophane’s reception in his home country and in modern Italy.In conclusion it seems that the two periods are more similar than what it seems, and that Aristophanes messages are more often understood and attacked only by those in power, while the wider audience does not listen to them.

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