The Frogs

The Frogs is Aristophanes’ comedy of 405 BCE in which Dionysus travels to the underworld to recover a great tragic poet. His journey leads to a theatrical contest between Aeschylus and Euripides, whose contrasting styles become the subject of parody and argument. The debate moves beyond technical skill to what poetry can offer a city in difficulty. Comic disguise, songs, and verbal competition make the play both a work of theatre and an ancient reflection on the public responsibilities of literature.