The Birds

"The Birds" by Aristophanes is a funny play set in ancient Greece that tells the story of two unhappy men from Athens, who are sick of the problems in their city. They decide to go on a journey to find a better place to live with the birds. Their big idea is to build a new city in the sky called "Cloud-cuckoo-land," which will block messages between the gods and people. This plan forces the gods to deal with them if they want to keep their power and peace. When the play begins, the two Athenians are on a mission to find the King of the Birds, hoping he will help them create this perfect society. After they find him, they have some funny mix-ups and problems. They share their plan to build this sky city, where they will be in charge of everyone, including the gods and humans, starting a silly and wild adventure. The beginning of the play feels light-hearted and is packed with clever jokes and strange images, showing how ambitious the two men are and setting the stage for all the fun interactions they will have with birds and gods.