During the Peloponnesian war, Aristophanes watched as the people of Attica, living on the outermost edge of Athens, suffered and died from the raids and invasions that came with six years of warfare. Frustrated, but infusing a touch of levity in everything he did, Aristophanes put his pen to paper to write the world's very first anti-war comedy, Acharnians. Thereafter, Aristophanes continued writing plays that foreshadowed the decline of Athens.
Setting the playwright in context to his personal life, social, historical and political events, other writers of influence, and more, you will quickly gain a deep understanding of Aristophanes and the plays he wrote. Read Aristophanes in an Hour and experience his plays like never before. Know the playwright, love the play!
The book features:
• Aristophanes in an Hour, the main essay of the book
• Aristophanes In a Minute, a snapshot chronology
• A complete listing of Aristophanes' work
• A list of Aristophanes' contemporaries in all fields
• Excerpts from Aristophanes' significant works
• An extensive bibliography grouped according to type of reader
• An index of the main essay.
Playwrights in an Hour is a series devoted to the most produced and studied playwrights in the English language, from the Greek masters to contemporary writers, and written by leading authorities in the field. Each short book places the playwright and his or her work in historical, social, and literary context.
