Aristophanes: Wasps

This is the first book-length study dedicated to Aristophanes’ Wasps (422 BCE), which is arguably one of his most hilarious and inventive comedies. At the heart of Wasps is a comic conflict between an Athenian father named Philocleon and his son Bdelycleon; at stake are issues of political discourse, the judicial system, social class and mental illness. Alongside Aristophanes’ striking scenes involving a chorus of citizen wasps, a dog trial, and a concluding dance-off between tragedy and comedy, the reader is shown the theatrical genius of the playwright which is able to find the humor in the political, social and generational problems of his time.

Ideal for students with no experience in Greek comedy or for researchers wanting an updated analysis of the play, this book explores Wasps in terms of Aristophanes’ particular brand of Old Comedy, its historical context, innovative stagecraft and its reception up until the present day. While early modern playwrights such as Ben Jonson and Jean Racine tended to co-opt memorable scenes from Wasps such as the dog trial, more recent productions have interpreted the play as a political comedy about the fragility of democratic institutions. This is the ideal companion for anyone studying Wasps and its effect on later theater.

Craig Jendza is Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Kansas, USA. He is the author of Paracomedy: Appropriations of Comedy in Greek Tragedy (2020).