Aristophanes

The Frogs

Warsaw 2020

Contents

Characters in the Play

Xanthias, servant of dionysus

Dionysus

Heracles

A corpse

Charon

Aeacus

A maid servant of persephone

Hostess, keeper of cook-shop

Plathane, her partner

Euripides

Aeschylus

Pluto

Chorus of frogs

Chorus of blessed mystics

The scene shows the house of Heracles in the background. There enter two travellers: Dionysus on foot, in his customary yellow robe and buskins but also with the club and lion’s skin of Heracles, and his servant Xanthias on a donkey, carrying the luggage on a pole over his shoulder.

Xanthias

Shall I crack any of those old jokes, master,
At which the audience never fail to laugh?

Dionysus

Aye, what you will, except “I’m getting crushed”:
Fight shy of that: I’m sick of that already.

Xanthias

Nothing else smart?

Dionysus

Aye, save “my shoulder’s aching.”

Xanthias

Come now, that comical joke?

Dionysus

With all my heart.
Only be careful not to shift your pole,
And-

Xanthias

What?

Dionysus

And vow that you’ve a belly-ache.

Xanthias

May I not say I’m overburdened so
That if none ease me, I must ease myself?

Dionysus

For mercy’s sake, not till I’m going to vomit.

Xanthias

What! must I bear these burdens, and not make
One of the jokes Ameipsias and Lycis
And Phrynichus, in every play they write,
Put in the mouths of their burden-bearers?

Dionysus

Don’t make them; no! I tell you when I see
Their plays, and hear those jokes, I come away
More than a twelvemonth older than I went.

Xanthias

O thrice unlucky neck of mine, which now
Is getting crushed, yet must not crack its joke!

Dionysus

Now is not this fine pampered insolence
When I myself, Dionysus, son of-Pipkin,
Toil on afoot, and let this fellow ride,
Taking no trouble, and no burden bearing?

Xanthias

What, don’t I bear?

Dionysus

How can you when you’re riding?

Xanthias

Why, I bear these.

Dionysus

How?

Xanthias

Most unwillingly.

Dionysus

Does not the donkey bear the load you’re bearing?

Xanthias

Not what I bear myself: by Zeus, not he.

Dionysus

How can you bear, when you are borne yourself?

Xanthias

Don’t know: but anyhow my shoulder’s aching.

Dionysus

Then since you say the donkey helps you not,
You lift him up and carry him in turn.

Xanthias

O hang it all! why didn’t I fight at sea?
You should have smarted bitterly for this.

Dionysus

Get down, you rascal; I’ve been trudging on
Till now I’ve reached the portal, where I’m going
First to turn in. Boy! Boy! I say there, Boy!

[Enter Heracles from house.]

Heracles

Who banged the door? How like prancing Centaur
He drove against it Mercy o’ me, what’s this?

Dionysus

Boy.

Xanthias

Yes.

Dionysus

Did you observe?

Xanthias

What?

Dionysus

How alarmed he is.

Xanthias

Aye truly, lest you’ve lost your wits.

Heracles

O by Demeter, I can’t choose but laugh.
Biting my lips won’t stop me. Ha! ha! ha!

Dionysus

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This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.