Aristophanes has never been my mentor but I have always been fascinated by his writings. He can make you laugh in the darkest hours.
I really like these lines in his play The Frogs & I’ve got to scribble it on the blog. And yes this is not for everyone. You might be bored to death. Anyway here it goes:
Dionysus: Well as I was saying, I was on the ship & one day – I was reading the Andromeda at the time – do you know, I suddenly felt the most passionate longing – you can’t imagine how I longed –
Heracles: For a woman.
Dionysus: Not a bit of it.
Heracles: A boy? [Dionysus shakes his head.] A man, then?
Dionysus: Oh, come, come, really!
Heracles: You did say Cleisthenes was a friend of yours?
Dionysus: Don’t laugh at me, old man, this is deadly serious. I’m in a terrible state. Consumed with desire.
Heracles: Yes, but what sort of desire, my dear fellow?
Dionysus: Ah, you wouldn’t understand. Let me put it this way. Have you ever felt a sudden craving for – let’s say – pea soup?
Heracles: Ah, now you’re talking! When do I not have the craving for pea soup?
Dionysus: Are you with me, or would you care for another illustration?
Heracles: No, no pea soup will do nicely. I understand perfectly. [He smacks his lips.]
Dionysus: Well, that is kind of desire I feel for – Euripides.
Heracles: But he’s a – corpse! I mean to say!
Dionysus: No one on earth can stop me from going to seek him out.
Heracles: What, down to Hades?
Dionysus [dramatically]: And deeper still, if need be.
Heracles: With what object, may I ask?
Dionysus: I need a poet who can write. There are only two kinds of poets nowadays, the slick & the dead.
