The Eleven Comedies, Volume 1

"The Eleven Comedies, Volume 1" by Aristophanes is a group of old-time funny plays most likely written over two thousand years ago. The stories are examples of Old Comedy, which is known for making fun of the society, government, and way of life in Athens at the time when Athens was in war. Some of the plays included are "The Knights," "Lysistrata," and "The Clouds," where funny characters and ideas are used to poke fun at important people and the strange things about democracy. In the beginning of the volume, Aristophanes is said to be a person who changed comic theatre, showing what Athens was like politically and socially. The start of the translation has a beginning part that gets you ready for the plays, pointing out how they still matter even though they are very old. It talks about what makes Aristophanes' style unique, giving a summary of the ideas in each comedy, such as making fun of popular political people like Cleon and the funny actions of regular Athenian people living their lives during political trouble. The start does a good job of getting the reader ready to enjoy the interesting mix of humor, making fun of things, and smart thoughts found in the comedies, all of which have ideas that are still important now.