This new paperback edition of Aristophanes' popular play includes the complete Greek text and extensive notes and commentary. Dover examines the tw...
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Jul 31, 2011
Mathew
rated it: 
beyond my knowledge at the moment, much of the subtext and themes are lost on my ignorance of so much, as well as what I felt was a very poor translation (Great Books 1st edition translation). Overall, pretty clever and a few times I chuckled out loud such as "when you are on the ground studying the patterns of gnat shit, maybe your ass pointed up is studying the stars?"
other than that, what was obvious was that the sophists are portrayed not just with derision, but as wor More...
other than that, what was obvious was that the sophists are portrayed not just with derision, but as wor More...
Jan 20, 2012
aobibliophile™
rated it: 
“Some people use one half their ingenuity to get into debt, and the other half to avoid paying it.” - George Prentice
Strepsiades is an elderly Athenian whose sleep has been troubled lately due to his mounting debts. he devises a plan and asks his son Pheidippides to enroll at The Thinkery. the young man protests and refuses to be persuaded. the old man decides to enroll so he can learn from Socrates himself how to beat his creditors by employing winning arguments in court.
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Strepsiades is an elderly Athenian whose sleep has been troubled lately due to his mounting debts. he devises a plan and asks his son Pheidippides to enroll at The Thinkery. the young man protests and refuses to be persuaded. the old man decides to enroll so he can learn from Socrates himself how to beat his creditors by employing winning arguments in court.
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Jan 04, 2012
Brian
rated it:
The translation I read was not well done. It was not this one so I feel bad rating it poorly. However, the story is confusing and not that entertaining. It is a drama of decent size which makes fun of Socrates and his philosophy and way of teaching. He basically convinces two family members of absurd things so they fight. I would not recommend for the casual read or like me a serious read who wants an overview of Western books (I'm doing the The Great Conversation: The Substance Of A Liberal Education
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Nov 10, 2010
Julie
rated it: 
There is no better way to understand the general population of 5th century Greece's view of philosophy than through The Clouds. This is the only play I've read by Arisophanes's so far, but I would suspect that his other satires would have the same impact. There is something about the play that is almost like a time capsule to the past. What's even better is that despite its antiquity, it's still hilarious today.
Arisophane's plays were influence, I suspect, because I think the negat More...
Arisophane's plays were influence, I suspect, because I think the negat More...
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May 24, 2011
Jeff
rated it: 
Aristophanes was an Athenian conservative, and here he illustrated his dislike for those that taught the new way of knowledge, all of whom he identifies as sophists. The clouds are a lovely metaphor for the shifty and subjective nature of sophistic reasoning--one sees what one wishes to see. Socrates (although not actually a sophist) is caricatured and mocked, and dies miserably at the end. All throughout, the clever and crass jokes work superbly, even 2,500 years on. The moral can't be taken s
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May 15, 2011
Claire
rated it:
This is Aristophanes' satire lambasting the Sophists, and Socrates in particular (even though Socrates despised the Sophists he was associated with them by the masses). It's also a critique of the litigious nature of Athens at that time. I was struck by some similarities today, especially, ironically, the underlying concept of our society's lax attention to morality in the face of personal gain. "lie a little, take advantage of one's neighbor a little..." etc.
My first foray i More...
My first foray i More...
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Jun 11, 2009
Sara
rated it:
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Jan 29, 2012
Juan Pablo
rated it:
Obra que critica la sofística (y a Sócrates como sofista, lo que es bastante interesante para la historia de la filosofía), planteando un conflicto que no nos es ajeno, entre folosofía-retórica-conocimento-ciencia y tradición-. El protagonista (un viejo llamado Estrepsíades, adeudado por la afición de su hijo Fidípides a los caballos) va en busca de Sócrates para que le enseñe el arte de la oratoria, a fin de poder librarse de sus acreedores que pronto lo llevarán a juicio. Lo encuentra, como es
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May 28, 2010
Robert
rated it:
If you don't laugh when you read this play, you simply don't have a pulse...
This play is "immediately-turn-you-into-an-actor-reciting-lines-while-walking-through-your-house-by-yourself-as-you-laugh" funny...
But one problem is, I suspect I will never see a live performance that lives up to the one portrayed in my imagination. Honestly a great play to read and probably an especially difficult play to pull off on stage. You need to be very reckless, loud, and have More...
This play is "immediately-turn-you-into-an-actor-reciting-lines-while-walking-through-your-house-by-yourself-as-you-laugh" funny...
But one problem is, I suspect I will never see a live performance that lives up to the one portrayed in my imagination. Honestly a great play to read and probably an especially difficult play to pull off on stage. You need to be very reckless, loud, and have More...
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Nov 13, 2011
Ferris
rated it:
What a pleasant surprise this drama was! I picked this ancient Greek play up in anticipation of an intellectual muscle stretcher and ended up laughing out loud. Who knew Aristophanes could be so wonderfully entertaining! That silly old Socrates! This drama was entered into a competition in roughly 423 B.C. as an attempt to regain the playwright's standing as the champion. Excellent choice! He poked fun at the Sophists quite well! Very readable too!
Oct 03, 2011
Yaser
rated it:
السحب مسرحية من تألي الشاعر أريستوفانيس
أمير شعراء الكوميديا في العصر الكلاسيكي الإغريقي في القرن الرابع قبل الميلاد
العمل يعكس سقيم المجتمع الـي ألف فيه من النواحي الفكدية والسياسية والإجتماعية
بطل المسرحية هوسقراط الفيلسوف المرموق
أمير شعراء الكوميديا في العصر الكلاسيكي الإغريقي في القرن الرابع قبل الميلاد
العمل يعكس سقيم المجتمع الـي ألف فيه من النواحي الفكدية والسياسية والإجتماعية
بطل المسرحية هوسقراط الفيلسوف المرموق
Sep 14, 2011
The Chestertonian
rated it:
The language in this version is pretty crude (Hickie translation is cleaner), but the play is great comedy. Poor Socrates is not treated kindly; the older folks' attachment to the good ol' days as well as the younger people's immoral modernity also receive rough treatment. I won't give away the ending but it's one of my all-time favorite climaxes.
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Dec 01, 2011
Michael
rated it:
Sigh. I think I'm in the minority here, but for the most part, I just don't find Aristophanes funny. I found myself reading over passages thinking, Okay, I should be laughing, but probably ended up looking like this the entire time:
That is all.
That is all.
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Jun 02, 2011
(Too old to rate.) A nice refreshing reminder that not everyone in Ancient Greece was a chin-stroking philosopher. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Clouds is still funny today (the humour is pretty obscure, and that's not even counting the Ancient Greek puns, and of course we can now sit through a play without the chorus periodically popping in to tell us everything is going to work), but it does provide some entertainment, if only in showing that there were semi-conservative sitcoms making
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Jun 17, 2009
Chris
rated it:
Absolutely brilliant - the best satire in history. The dialogue is so absurd it's difficult to believe somebody could actually write it! Aristophanes depicts Socrates proving everything and nothing all at once and insults all of Greece in the same breath
Feb 10, 2011
Wendy
rated it:
Funny, witty Greek comedy. Only thing I've fully understood in my Ancient Philosophy class so far. Amusing to read such crass humor and language from the Ancients- it was like reading a really good SNL skit set a couple thousand years ago.
Feb 21, 2008
Mattomic
rated it:
OK, so I read only a fragment of this for a philosophy course many, many years ago. The context added to the humor from Aristophanes' biting satire. I'm sure were I to read this today, not as well steeped in ancient Greek philosophy, I wouldn't get such a kick out of it. Overly generous as my rating is, I have to give it props for the good memories it conjures up in me. Aristophanes tears Socrates and his ilk (more accurately, the sophists - people who can argue circles around others, but posses
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Feb 10, 2012
Oz
rated it:
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Oct 23, 2009
Leslee
rated it:
After months of dry reading material, this little gem was required in my freshperson history/lit class. I had no idea that the ancients ever laughed! Yes, I am a comedy person.
Sep 25, 2011
Taylor
rated it:
Very funny even if all the ancient Greek humor goes over your head. I would advise you brush up on your mythology and Greek history (or at least google Socrates if you don't know who he is) so this will make more sense.
Dec 06, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
Funny and precise social commentary. My third favorite Aristophane play, after Lysistrata and The Birds.
Feb 06, 2012
Andrew
rated it:
A humorous play and one of the earliest critiques of Socratic thinking
Jun 18, 2011
Bryan
rated it:
Who knew the ancients could be so masterfully sarcastic? Downright hilarious.
Aug 20, 2009
Rob
rated it:
A comedy about the latest fad in Athens, philosophy, and its main proponent, Socrates.
Jan 19, 2008
Nicole
rated it:
This book was a happy surprise. I thought I'd be bored stiff, but was stunned by how funny ancient playwrights could actually be. He even makes a fart joke ,which isn't exactly the height of humor, but...nevermind. Great play, is all. Satire in the form of commentary on Socrates and the philosophical movement at the time.
Feb 18, 2011
Kaion
rated it:
Probably only interesting to your hardcore classical Greek/Athens inter/intra-philosophy-school-fighting crowd (who also like bawdy 'jokes'). And the people who study them. Kind of goofy for my tastes. Rating: 1.5 stars (Arrowroot translation)
Dec 26, 2007
Jackie
rated it:
I read William Arrowsmith's translation from William Arrowsmith from 1962. Some of the modern language choices acted like roadbumps for me but I did enjoy the tale. Quite funny. I now wish I'd named my roosters Philosophy & Sophistry.
Jan 29, 2012
Shanamadele
rated it:
Actually -- I did not read it in ancient Greek. I think, in fact, that I read a St. John's version -- bound photocopies -- either of a translation that a tutor made just for us or of an out-of-print translation.
