Dionysus is disguised as Hercules and Xanthias rides a donkey with the baggage. Following this interpretation becomes clear that the title is meaningful because it underlines the power of the poetry which, according to Aristophanes, may bring even to the salvation of Athens. The frogs which sing with a beautiful voice symbolize the value of the poetry because this is the only reason of their song. The significance of all the other events takes the meaning from this symbol so the single episode acquires importance. Even if a single episode may appear not relevant, in reality it may become a symbol of the entire story. It was often considered strange because in the play there is only one episode where the frogs are present. After reading and analyzing the comedy we are able to find the meaning of the title. Why does Aristophanes elect a tragedian poet to save the city? This happens because he thinks that generally the art and particularly the tragedy are able to do a lot of things to benefit the city, even to save it. Meanwhile the salvation of Athens is a hidden purpose. The first one which is the salvation of the theatre is easy to be identified. In other words his trip assumes a double function and purpose. Dionysus trip at first is described as an attempt to save the tragedy but latter it turns into an attempt to save Athens (Aristophanes, pg. This message is not always easy to be identified in the comedy. We can say that “The Frogs” contains solid and serious messages regarding peace and state organization. The play suggests a peaceful war end and also suggests that men of known integrity are the ones who should be in the ruling positions in Athens. The old way in the play is represented by Aeschylus and Euripides. It is clear that behind the comedy is hiding a political theme. In other words Aristophanes wants to tell that the old path is the one which has the potential to make Athens as it was in its most successful years. This was the atmosphere where Aristophanes wrote his nostalgic play where the only way to give to Athens again its splendor, is to bring the dead people back to life. All leaded to think that the future would be bad comparing to the past. In other words it seemed that Athens was losing its politic and cultural splendor. The two greater tragedians of that era, Sophocles and Euripides, were dead. Greek Democracy was replaced by oligarchy and the politic situation was much tensioned. It was at the point to lose its sovereignty on the Greek world and as a result it was passing through strong conflicts and an under pressure situation. The Peloponnesus war was ending and the destiny of the city was unpredictable. In 405 B.C Athens was passing through the most difficult period of all its history. To be able to analyze the comedy it is important to enter into the reality of the time when the play was written. As main character of this comedy we can mention Dionysus, Xanthias, Aeschylus, Euripides and the chorus of frogs. Aeschylus was the one who gave the best answer so the god of the Underworld allowed him to return to life in order to succor Athens in a moment when it really needed this. To make up his mind and end the debate between the two poets, Dionysus decided to take with him the one who would give the best advice about saving the city (Athens). At that point Dionysus found it difficult to decide which from them he had to take with him.
At the end of the competition came the winner who was Aeschylus. One of them was the verses recitation from their plays. The competition included some activities. The two poets competed with each other having as a judge, Dionysus. After the trip, Dionysus finally found Euripides, but he was in the middle of a conflict with the great Aeschylus to decide who the “Best Tragic Poet” was. It is important to mention that this is the only scene in the comedy that features the frogs (Aristophanes, pg. Once arrived to the river Charon, Dionysus heard a chorus of croaking frogs that were singing very beautifully. After they found the shorter way to arrive to Hades they went there. It tells the story of Dionysus, the god of the theatre, who traveled to Hades with his slave Xanthias to bring Euripides back from the hereafter. “The Frogs” is one of the most popular comedies of Aristophanes and of the Greek Antiquity.
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