To what extent does Aristophanes attempt to convey a serious political message to his audience in The Frogs?

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Aristophanes' Frogs - Homework Essay

1). To what extent does Aristophanes attempt to convey a serious political message to his audience in The Frogs?

As Aeschylus says in the play Frogs, "Schoolboys have a master to teach them, grown-ups have the poets." This seems to me to be a very good comment, because everybody likes to learn and I think that is why Aristophanes work in general was so popular and especially Frogs because the play teaches the audience. There are two main themes in the play, the first one being "the role of the poet in Greek society." Aristophanes has Aeschylus ask Euripides what makes a good poet? The reply is "technical skill - and he should teach a lesson, make people into better citizens," and this is exactly what Aristophanes is doing with this poem but also adding a great deal of humour into it. Aeschylus also says that the really good poets have had useful lessons to teach e.g. Musaeus (medicine), Hesiod (agriculture) and of course Homer (the arts of warfare). The main serious theme is Aristophanes continuation of his campaign for peace; he attacks the current politicians who rejected the offer of peace made