Analysis of Aristophanes and Peter Meinecks Clouds - Essay Example

Aristophanes develops a play, “the clouds” which is fundamentally about education. To detail his conservative beliefs, he uses satire as the main figure of speech across the whole play. The play has the main goal of informing the reader that, in the idealistic subtleties, there is neglect of the true wishes of Athenians. In some way, Aristophanes means that the philosophical perspectives change the already present foundations of conventional ideals, gods and religion. To this, he means that the already present beliefs in the system had to change since even the youths had started asking questions.

The Athenians had strong perceptions and assumptions of the status quo. Aristophanes in the play, therefore, means that there was a need for a change of the status quo. The sophists acted and talked in a manner that made others feel rejected and of little knowledge about philosophy. It is in this respect that Aristophanes details this as the main point through the whole play. Interestingly, he does this through satire and a little bit of comedy. This paper seeks to review the play by mentioning how the main them is projected and how Aristophanes developed a different type of play from his fellow classical writers.

In the play, Aristophanes introduces the topic of a new type of education from the old-style procedures. He criticizes the already existing reforms in the traditional sophist way of life. The play, therefore, presents itself as a satirical comedy that analyzes the philosophies and ideas of the sophists in a funny way. Aristophanes describes Socrates as the leading figure in this existing sophist movement. Socrates is known to have taken after Plato in his teachings. Although this play was surely for comedy purposes, it gives a clear critique of Socrates accounts as synchronization of Plato’s work.

The play, however, cannot be used as a historical account of understanding Socrates and Plato’s work on philosophy. The play also gives Socrates a different title as the corrupter of the youths among the Athenians. In the play, Aristophanes details the life of a father and son who recently accrued too much date due to the son’s obsession with a new hobby of horseracing. Aristophanes discusses the unjust argument as a trick taught in school by the sophists. The son studies in a school, which Aristophanes describes it as “thinkery” (Aristophanes & Peter 62).

In a literary discussion, Aristophanes uses a style of persuasion that leads a reader to a different perspective even though there might be strong morals that exist. The father witnesses so many sceptics in the type of education his son received. Aristophanes creates an impression to the reader that the education system is failed and does not have the correct teachings to the children.