Contents vGeneral Introductionvii Diagram of the Stagexxxviii Translator’s Prefacexxxix Clouds:Introduction2 Clouds:Cast of Characters8 Clouds9 Clouds:Endnotes107 Wasps:Introduction125 Wasps:Cast of Characters132 Wasps133 Wasps:Endnotes234
Clouds:Cast of Characters STREPSIADES a rural Athenian PHEIDIPIDES son of Strepsiades HOUSEBOY of Strepsiades STUDENTS of Socrates SOCRA TESa philosopher CHORUS of Clouds SUPERIORA RGUMENT INFERIORA RGUMENT FIRSTC REDIT OR SECONDC REDIT OR CHAEREPHON a philosopher XANTHIAS servant to Strepsiades Cloudswas first produced by Aristophanes in 423B.C.E ., at the DionysiaFestivalin the city of Athens.Thistranslationwas inspired by a production by the London Smal Theatre Company, which re- ceived its first U.K. public performance at the Shaw Theatre, Lon- don, in January 190 and its first U.S. public performance at the Ju- dith Anderson Theatre, New York, in May 190, directed by Fiona Lair d and produced by Peter Meineck. * r efers to an endnote (found at the end of the play). Each fotnote is preceded by the line number to which it refers.
9SCENE :A house in Athens. (An old man named Strepsiades and his son Pheidipides are aslep. Strepsiades is tosing and turning and mutering to himself until he finaly wakes up with a start.)* STREPSIADES : Oh! Oh! Oh, Zeus almighty! What a night! Its never-ending! It must be morning son. I thought I heard the cock crow hours ago. Just listen to those blasted servants, snoring away, back in my day theyd have never dared to slep in. Damn this stupid war! Itl ruin us. I cant even beat my own slaves anymore in case they sneak of and hide out in enemy teritory!* (Pointing to Pheidipides) Just lok at him, the refined young gentleman, hel never se the sunrise, hel just cary on, blisfuly farting away under his five flufy blankets. Clouds 8:For more than seven years Athens and Sparta had ben engaged in the Peloponesian W ar .5 10
10Aristophanes 14:Long hair was considered a Spartan fashion and was worn by aspiring young aristocrats with antidemocratic sentiments (seWasps476).Its al right for some! Oh, Il just try and bury my head and ignor e the snoring. (Strepsiades tries to go back to slep, he toses and turns and then angrily throws of the covers in frustration.) Its no god, I just cant slep! Im being biten by debts and eaten away by stable bils. Why? Because of this long-haired son of mine, and al his riding events and chariot races. He lives, breathes and dreams horses! Its already the 20th day of the month, and the interest is due on the 30th. Im finished! (He cals out to a slave.) Boy! light a lamp and fetch my ledger! I ned to count up my debts and calculate the interest. (A slave huries from the stage right dor with some tablets and a lamp. He hands the tablets to Strepsiades and holds the lamp so he can read the acounts.) Now then, lets have a lok at these debts: Twelve hundred drachmas owed to Pasias. Twelve hundred drachmas!
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