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.