Aristophanes' Birds is a comical play that was preformed in the Dionysian festival in 414 BCE. This comedy does not follow the same usual trend of using comedy to address serious political issues that can be seen in the majority of the works that we have of Aristophanes. The play starts with two older Athenians, Euelpides and Pisthetaerus, who are discouraged with the state of Athens and its people. Instead of these two looking to change the old and corrupt Athens they want to start a new life and look for the King of the Birds, Tereus, to help them. The main character is Pisthetaerus, and similar to most of the plays we have covered in this course, as the play unfolds, he under goes the process of rite of passage. The first part of rites
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Cloud Cuckoo Land’s placement in the city has created a blockade against the gods above. Meaning the birds and Pisthetaerus would have power due to their new ability to intercept any messages between the gods and mortals. During the comedy we see two examples of the interceptions with the capturing of the messenger god, Iris, who tells the chorus that Zeus will come and destroy the wall. The second interception is the messages or sacrifices that mortals send the gods and the sacrifices are the source of the gods’ food and power. The result is without the access to the mortals’ sacrifices the gods will starve and become powerless. The creation of the utopia, Cloud Cuckoo Land, and birds and Pisthetaerus exploiting their new power over the gods Pisthetaerus is elevated into divinity or godhood. As part of the last part of the rites of passage, during the fulfillment Zeus has sent down delegates to discuss terms with Pisthetaerus. The delegates include Poseidon, Heracles, Triballus, and Prometheus; all four mythical characters are contributing to both the comic elements and the plot. Prometheus is acting similarly to a double agent for both Zeus and Pisthetaerus and convinces Zeus’ ambassadors to give Pisthetaerus a wife, Baslileia, and Zeus’ scepter. The wife’s name is Baslileia, deriving from the word Basilea meaning he who has all things or will to
Cloud Cuckoo Land’s placement in the city has created a blockade against the gods above. Meaning the birds and Pisthetaerus would have power due to their new ability to intercept any messages between the gods and mortals. During the comedy we see two examples of the interceptions with the capturing of the messenger god, Iris, who tells the chorus that Zeus will come and destroy the wall. The second interception is the messages or sacrifices that mortals send the gods and the sacrifices are the source of the gods’ food and power. The result is without the access to the mortals’ sacrifices the gods will starve and become powerless. The creation of the utopia, Cloud Cuckoo Land, and birds and Pisthetaerus exploiting their new power over the gods Pisthetaerus is elevated into divinity or godhood. As part of the last part of the rites of passage, during the fulfillment Zeus has sent down delegates to discuss terms with Pisthetaerus. The delegates include Poseidon, Heracles, Triballus, and Prometheus; all four mythical characters are contributing to both the comic elements and the plot. Prometheus is acting similarly to a double agent for both Zeus and Pisthetaerus and convinces Zeus’ ambassadors to give Pisthetaerus a wife, Baslileia, and Zeus’ scepter. The wife’s name is Baslileia, deriving from the word Basilea meaning he who has all things or will to