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How Does Aristophanes impersonate real, contemporary characters in 'Knights'? What do you think the playwright gains from using the actors in this way?
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Elena Solaro 12E How Does Aristophanes impersonate real, contemporary characters in 'Knights'? What do you think the playwright gains from using the actors in this way? In his comic play, "Knights", Aristophanes parodies several contemporary characters. His main objective for writing the play was to launch an attack on Athenian politics and political leadership. He focuses particularly on certain members of the Athenian government, making a mockery of them, and holding them up to the ridicule of the audience. Probably the most notable protagonist is Cleon, an Athenian demagogue. Cleon was a low born tanner, who earned his money through trade. This was something which the wealthy land-owning classes greatly looked down upon. In this play, Aristophanes uses representatives of the 'Knights', (a socially elite class who formed approximately the top 5% of the Athenian population) as his chorus. Naturally, the Knights were not very well disposed towards...
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