In this grippingly hilarious and disturbingly raunchy tale of conniving, foolishness, wisdom, and impiety, there is a sense of absurdity that “clouds” the entire story. Aristophanes presents Socrates as an esoteric fool who “[treads] the air, as [he] contemplates the sun.” The Socrates of Aristophanes’ Clouds is nothing short of a babbling buffoon as he spouts nonsense such as “bassinettes” and “fowlettes” and how men with feminine names are not really men at all. Of course as the entire story is a comedy, the babblings are deemed worthy and significant and Socrates is marked as ingenious and noteworthy, for a time.
There is no conclusive evidence that points that Socrates is necessarily a bad person. What he does is out of his desire to learn and rethink old ideas. He wishes to “mix [his] thoughts with the [celestial phenomena]” and think on “lofty things” but shows no real interest in those who wish to learn from him. His lack of patience with Strepsiades, characterizes him as a man that does not genuinely care for his pupils. None of his pupils “has ever shaved, or oiled his skin, or visited the baths…” Their lack of hygiene is another stab at the manner in which Socrates teaches his students. Once again, his character may be neither good nor bad, but his influence is definitely characterized negatively. Strepsiades believes that it is because of Socrates that he is in the pitiful state he is in. Even though it was Strepsiades’ idea to weasel out of paying his debts, everyone needs a scapegoat and Socrates and his students provided an excellent example.
Aristophanes portrays Socrates as a man who is doing nothing of real value with his life. He runs a school where the students are supposed to be learning esoterically but are really just engaging their intellects in the petty discourses of the day or upon any random thought that strays into their minds. Strepsiades is encouraged to just let his mind wander and dwell upon whatever concepts he came across, which is counterintuitive to the Greek method of teaching in that day, and he finds some very absurd solutions to real problems. The usefulness of Socrates is to encourage the nonsensical and trivial, according to Aristophanes. Another fine example is the mention of the two arguments: the Better Argument and the Worse Argument. The Worse Argument turns out to be a better argument than the Better Argument, thus proving the absurdity once more of Socrates and his teaching methods. In the way the two arguments are portrayed, the sensible one is cast aside for the one that allows hedonistic pursuits. This of course just helps prove Aristophanes’ point concerning Socrates and his teachings. We are not supposed to admire what Socrates is doing because in the way he is being portrayed, it is against everything that is sensible to the Greeks at that time. While some of his concepts seem to make sense, such as with the Clouds and thunderbolts, the notion of deities other than the gods and male and female names for objects are outlandish and absurd.
Lastly, I believe Aristophanes presents Socrates in the way that he does because it is a reductio ad absurdum (reduction to the absurd). The strongest case he presents against Socrates is to show what would happen to a person if they would follow the advice of Socrates. This is where the absurdity comes in. Strepsiades needed a way to get out of paying his debts, he tries to learn from Socrates about better and worse arguments, sends his son to learn, his son ends up beating him using the same logic Socrates uses, Strepsiades realizes his mistake and how absurd he was for listening to absurdity in the first place. Reductio ad absurdum is a highly effective form of argument that allows the audience or readers (in this case) to see how foolish the solution is in order to point out the flaw in the argument. In this case, it works very well.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Fate of Helen of Troy
The fate of Helen of Troy has always been unclear. According to Orestes, son of Agamemnon, Helen was taken to Mount Olympus soon after her arrival back to Argos with Menelaus. Herodotus, a great Greek historian, claimed Helen had never even made it to Troy in the first place. Supposedly, she was sold to the Egyptians when Paris, on his way back from Argos, had been confronted by them. Obviously, there are many stories pertaining to the fate of Helen after the Trojan War; however, there is one that is widely accepted.
When Paris was dying, he was confronted with the question of who would get Helen. As Deiphobus and Helenus, the brothers of Paris, were arguing this over, Paris, in the end, chooses Deiphobus since he had outperformed his brother during the war. Soon after, Deiphobus and Helen get married by force.
Soon after the marriage, the Achaeans prevail and beat down the city of Troy. During the attack, Menelaus and Odysseus catch Helen with Deiphobus. Menelaus then kills Deiphobus, perhaps with the help of Helen, and completely mutilates his body for revenge - cutting his ears, arms, nose, and other body parts entirely off.
When their battle at Troy was nearly over, the Achaeans divide the prisoners of royal blood among themselves, and Helen was returned to Menelaus. Menelaus, still furious at the woman, announces to all his intentions to kill Helen himself for being such an unfaithful wife and starting this disastrous war. However, as Menelaus raised his sword to kill his treacherous spouse, she unexpectedly drops her robe from her shoulders baring her body to him. The sight of Helen’s beauty causes Menelaus to drop the sword from his hands, and, once again, Helen’s beauty captivates Menelaus. He then puts her on the ship and declares his intentions to kill her later.
On their way back home, the Achaeans encounter heavy storms, preventing many, including Menelaus, from making it back safely. Menelaus remained lost at sea with Helen for close to 8 years, having the winds carry them from places such as Crete to Egypt. Finally, both Menelaus and Helen arrive to Argos safely, and Menelaus had practically forgotten about Helen’s deception.
In The Odyssey, Homer briefly states that Helen had, in the end, returned with Menelaus to Sparta, and the couple reigned happily together. Also, it is later written that Menelaus had heard from the sea-god, Proteus, of his and Helen’s fate. Proteus had prophesized that when the time comes, Helen and Menelaus would be sent to the Islands of the Blessed to live forever together, because Helen was a daughter of Zeus and Menelaus was the one she loved.
Although there are many accounts of Helen’s fate, no one knows for certain of what became of “the face that launched a thousand ships.” Of all the stories, only one thing seems certain, and that is who Helen is as a person. In every account, Helen seemed to have stirred up trouble unconsciously by her beauty. After the war, she never seemed to be too devastated about the fact that many had died for her presence. She actually seemed pretty unaffected and did virtually nothing to pay for her part in the calamity of war. So whatever the case, which ever story is true, we do acknowledge one fact for certain – whether a curse or a blessing, Helen was so magnificent in beauty and with that came much power.
When Paris was dying, he was confronted with the question of who would get Helen. As Deiphobus and Helenus, the brothers of Paris, were arguing this over, Paris, in the end, chooses Deiphobus since he had outperformed his brother during the war. Soon after, Deiphobus and Helen get married by force.
Soon after the marriage, the Achaeans prevail and beat down the city of Troy. During the attack, Menelaus and Odysseus catch Helen with Deiphobus. Menelaus then kills Deiphobus, perhaps with the help of Helen, and completely mutilates his body for revenge - cutting his ears, arms, nose, and other body parts entirely off.
When their battle at Troy was nearly over, the Achaeans divide the prisoners of royal blood among themselves, and Helen was returned to Menelaus. Menelaus, still furious at the woman, announces to all his intentions to kill Helen himself for being such an unfaithful wife and starting this disastrous war. However, as Menelaus raised his sword to kill his treacherous spouse, she unexpectedly drops her robe from her shoulders baring her body to him. The sight of Helen’s beauty causes Menelaus to drop the sword from his hands, and, once again, Helen’s beauty captivates Menelaus. He then puts her on the ship and declares his intentions to kill her later.
On their way back home, the Achaeans encounter heavy storms, preventing many, including Menelaus, from making it back safely. Menelaus remained lost at sea with Helen for close to 8 years, having the winds carry them from places such as Crete to Egypt. Finally, both Menelaus and Helen arrive to Argos safely, and Menelaus had practically forgotten about Helen’s deception.
In The Odyssey, Homer briefly states that Helen had, in the end, returned with Menelaus to Sparta, and the couple reigned happily together. Also, it is later written that Menelaus had heard from the sea-god, Proteus, of his and Helen’s fate. Proteus had prophesized that when the time comes, Helen and Menelaus would be sent to the Islands of the Blessed to live forever together, because Helen was a daughter of Zeus and Menelaus was the one she loved.
Although there are many accounts of Helen’s fate, no one knows for certain of what became of “the face that launched a thousand ships.” Of all the stories, only one thing seems certain, and that is who Helen is as a person. In every account, Helen seemed to have stirred up trouble unconsciously by her beauty. After the war, she never seemed to be too devastated about the fact that many had died for her presence. She actually seemed pretty unaffected and did virtually nothing to pay for her part in the calamity of war. So whatever the case, which ever story is true, we do acknowledge one fact for certain – whether a curse or a blessing, Helen was so magnificent in beauty and with that came much power.
Aristophanes' Clouds
Aristophanes’ Clouds is a critique of the educational ideologies of his time. He employs the exaggerated character of Socrates to show all that is wrong with the educational process and the philosophers who strove to interpret the world through their logic.
As an audience, we are first introduced to the character of Strepsiades and the troubles he is having with debtors. Strepsiades, not knowing where else to turn, decides that the best action to beat his debtors’ claims is through learning the art of argument from a the “thinkery” school, taught by Socrates. This fact is key to revealing the common perception of philosophers at the time, showing them to be thought as people who could escape the responsibilities of life and the consequences of their actions through the use of less than honest arguments and sly, deceptive reasoning.
Several things happen with the plot of Clouds, but the important points are clearly made when Strepsiades visits the school. Instead of finding great discussions in progress about meaningful actualities, he instead finds all too serious philosophers concerning themselves with trivial things, such as which end of the body a gnat makes sounds with, and practicing absurd techniques such as studying the starts with their behinds.
Aristophanes’ then makes a point of ridiculing the great philosopher Socrates, suggesting that he, and possibly all the philosophers of the time, have their heads firmly stuck in the clouds, nearly completely detached from reality and the practical aspects of life. Though Strepsiades turns to Socrates for help, Socrates instead decides to spite Strepsiades by turning him down and instead accepting his son, Pheidippides, but only in order to teach him the wrong and unjust ways of argument. Philosophers of this time were thought highly of, and this examples serves as a warning, telling that these seemingly “great” thinkers are themselves flawed and can be easily influenced by unjust ideals and actions.
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Aristophanes' Socrates
Aristophanes’ Socrates: A Man Leading a Revolution in Learning with Absurd Ideas and Methods
“Come, who is this man in this basket?” (line 218) This question, posed by Strepsiades, is the first glimpse of Socrates that Aristophanes reveals to the audience. The student’s response to this question is “Himself” (line 219). Aristophanes, from the very first introduction of the character Socrates, characterizes him as a person unlike any mere human being. In this scene, he is in a hot air balloon so that he can think more clearly, portraying that he is a man who does things quite differently than they are normally done. Aristophanes characterizes Socrates as someone who has the ability to create a group of followers who marvel at him; followers who assume all should know who he is, just like the student expected Strepsiades to automatically know Socrates. Socrates is Aristophanes’ symbol of the new age of education and learning. Aristophanes thought Socrates, and his new school of thought, to be illogical and very much ridiculous.
The mere fact that Aristophanes wrote Clouds as a satire conveys how he did not think this “new age” of learning should be taken seriously. Aristophanes, through Strepsiades’ inability to absorb Socrates’ teachings, shows Socrates’ following to be that of youth and those who do not know any better than to adhere to his teachings. Strepsiades was meant to represent traditions and the “old” way of life. Strepsiades was a farmer who made his living on his land, while those of the “new age” sat in classrooms learning sometimes absurd, seemingly useless things. Strepsiades tried to learn what Socrates was teaching to his followers, but was unable to do so. Partly Strepsiades’ failure was due to the fact that Socrates became frustrated with the old man’s stubbornness and ignorance. At one point Socrates tell Stepsiades, “You’re talking foolishness. Go away. I won’t teach you anymore,” (783-784). Socrates did not want to hear Strepsiades’ arguments against learning his methodologies. Therefore, Socrates was unable to teach the older generation his new ideas, so he forced Strepsiades to send his young son to his school so that he could do the learning with his youthful mind. With Pheidippides, Socrates was able to transform a mind into believing all that he taught him to believe and to think. Socrates, in Clouds, does not seem to be doing something useful with his life and his teachings. He is unable to teach the older minds his new material. Also, he forces those who want to learn to pay for his instruction. He seems to be looking for a profit for all of his new methodologies that he is teaching. Aristophanes’ portrayal of Socrates appears to be one that is not to be admired for much of anything. He only wants to teach those young minds and, because of this, he brings divisions between the old and the new minds. Socrates caused Strepsiades’ and Pheidippides’ relationship to be weak, not as strong as it was before Pheidippides attended Socrates’ school. This makes Socrates somewhat of a bad person. He caused a division in a family that interacted well with each other. Towards the end of the play, Strepsiades bemoans “But nowhere is it the law that the father suffer this,” (line 1420). To this Pheidippides replies “Wasn’t he who first set down this law a man like you and me?” (line 1421). Socrates has taught Pheidippides to have no respect for authority or tradition. Aristophanes shows Socrates to have no desire to reconcile the dichotomy between tradition and new age thought. Socrates seems to only be interested in furthering his ideals, and not respecting or valuing the old way of life.
At the end of the play, Pheidippides has no care for horses, which caused much debt in the family, or for his father, who he loved deeply before going to school. Pheidippides became a totally different person after learning the ideas of Socrates. Aristophanes seems to be warning his audience that this is the danger of the “new” education that has arisen. People like Socrates are planning to revolutionize the minds of the young, which will indeed revolutionize society as a result.
“Come, who is this man in this basket?” (line 218) This question, posed by Strepsiades, is the first glimpse of Socrates that Aristophanes reveals to the audience. The student’s response to this question is “Himself” (line 219). Aristophanes, from the very first introduction of the character Socrates, characterizes him as a person unlike any mere human being. In this scene, he is in a hot air balloon so that he can think more clearly, portraying that he is a man who does things quite differently than they are normally done. Aristophanes characterizes Socrates as someone who has the ability to create a group of followers who marvel at him; followers who assume all should know who he is, just like the student expected Strepsiades to automatically know Socrates. Socrates is Aristophanes’ symbol of the new age of education and learning. Aristophanes thought Socrates, and his new school of thought, to be illogical and very much ridiculous.
The mere fact that Aristophanes wrote Clouds as a satire conveys how he did not think this “new age” of learning should be taken seriously. Aristophanes, through Strepsiades’ inability to absorb Socrates’ teachings, shows Socrates’ following to be that of youth and those who do not know any better than to adhere to his teachings. Strepsiades was meant to represent traditions and the “old” way of life. Strepsiades was a farmer who made his living on his land, while those of the “new age” sat in classrooms learning sometimes absurd, seemingly useless things. Strepsiades tried to learn what Socrates was teaching to his followers, but was unable to do so. Partly Strepsiades’ failure was due to the fact that Socrates became frustrated with the old man’s stubbornness and ignorance. At one point Socrates tell Stepsiades, “You’re talking foolishness. Go away. I won’t teach you anymore,” (783-784). Socrates did not want to hear Strepsiades’ arguments against learning his methodologies. Therefore, Socrates was unable to teach the older generation his new ideas, so he forced Strepsiades to send his young son to his school so that he could do the learning with his youthful mind. With Pheidippides, Socrates was able to transform a mind into believing all that he taught him to believe and to think. Socrates, in Clouds, does not seem to be doing something useful with his life and his teachings. He is unable to teach the older minds his new material. Also, he forces those who want to learn to pay for his instruction. He seems to be looking for a profit for all of his new methodologies that he is teaching. Aristophanes’ portrayal of Socrates appears to be one that is not to be admired for much of anything. He only wants to teach those young minds and, because of this, he brings divisions between the old and the new minds. Socrates caused Strepsiades’ and Pheidippides’ relationship to be weak, not as strong as it was before Pheidippides attended Socrates’ school. This makes Socrates somewhat of a bad person. He caused a division in a family that interacted well with each other. Towards the end of the play, Strepsiades bemoans “But nowhere is it the law that the father suffer this,” (line 1420). To this Pheidippides replies “Wasn’t he who first set down this law a man like you and me?” (line 1421). Socrates has taught Pheidippides to have no respect for authority or tradition. Aristophanes shows Socrates to have no desire to reconcile the dichotomy between tradition and new age thought. Socrates seems to only be interested in furthering his ideals, and not respecting or valuing the old way of life.
At the end of the play, Pheidippides has no care for horses, which caused much debt in the family, or for his father, who he loved deeply before going to school. Pheidippides became a totally different person after learning the ideas of Socrates. Aristophanes seems to be warning his audience that this is the danger of the “new” education that has arisen. People like Socrates are planning to revolutionize the minds of the young, which will indeed revolutionize society as a result.
Mocking Socrates
In Clouds, Aristophanes presents a very comedic representation of Socrates and his teachings. Through the use of Strepsiades and his son Pheidippides and their quest for knowledge from Socrates in order to overcome the heavy amount of debt they have acquired, the audience is introduced to Socrates through the eyes of Aristophanes. However, his view of Socrates cannot be considered entirely accurate, as it is a mockery of Socrates rather than a biographical representation of him. Aristophanes, through his scornful comedy, presents a negative view of Socrates.
In the play, Socrates is the head teacher at the Thinkery, a school where students learn rhetoric and science, and take part in seemingly strange experiments such as determinining how many flea-feet fleas jump. The audience is first introduced to Socrates when Strepsiades, in search of skills to talk his way out of his debts, goes to the Thinkery in hopes of being successfully taught by Socrates. From the start, Aristophanes portrays Socrates in a bad light, greatly parodying him. Socrates floats on to the stage in a basket, in order to “tread on air and contemplate the sun,” effectively floating along with his head in the clouds, completely removed from reality. Aristophanes does allow Socrates some dignity as he begins to instruct Strepsiades with a sense of rationality and intelligence, instructing Strepsiades in atheism by introducing him to the Clouds. However, Socrates soon loses his patience trying to deal with Strepsiades’ ignorance and the two bicker. Socrates does not end up teaching Strepsiades, but, instead, his son Pheidippides. While Socrates agrees to help Strepsiades and his debt problem, this does not make him a good person, but rather something of the opposite. He teaches Pheidippides how to use dishonest speech in order for him and his father to avoid their creditors. Not only that, he influences Pheidippides to hit his own father.
Aristophanes displays great disdain for philosophy, the very thing Socrates is devoting his life to. In Aristophanes’ view, audiences are not meant to admire Socrates’ teachings, but to be amused by the absurdity of them. The first glimpse into Socrates’ teachings within the play is through the words of one of his students, who discusses experiments Socrates conducted to determine whether or not gnats hum from their mouths or their anuses. Then, Strepsiades witnesses students studying the earth with their heads close to the ground, with their asses in the air in order to study the stars. Aristophanes makes such a mockery of philosophical teaching, that a sense of admiration for Socrates is not achieved if knowledge of him is known only through this play. In Aristophanes view, Socrates is not really doing something useful with his life.
Aristophanes paints this picture of Socrates because of his dislike and lack of respect towards philosophy. He parodies Socrates as a compilation of the philosophical and intellectual trends of the times that he did not agree with. His figurative portrayal of Socrates through his comedic play does not offer a true look at who Socrates really was.
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