Oh those clever little underdogs….
Irony is a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character’s words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.
The term irony has its roots in the Greek comic character Eiron, a clever underdog who by his wit repeatedly triumphs over the boastful character Alazon.
And so the story goes it was the great philosopher, Socrates who went about feigning ignorance and humility, asking silly and obvious questions of all sorts of people on all sorts of subjects, only to expose their ignorance as more profound than his own. Irony is among the most powerful devices used in satire and politics. Social media has mastered it in memes that point out such state of affairs and is generally taken into consideration as sarcasm.
Which bring us to “The Frogs”….
The Frogs is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus in Athens, in 405 BC and received first place.
It was inspired by the death of Euripides (406 BC), who was one of the great Athenian playwrights. The plot follows the attempt of Dionysus, who is the patron god of drama, and his underdog slave Xanthias, to go into the Underworld and bring Euripides back to the surface of the earth. This turns into a task filled with deception as right off the bat, the two have problems convincing a corpse to help them with their luggage to the Underworld and then Dionysus has to row Charon’s boat in the Infernal Lake by himself, while an ear piercing chorus of frogs accompany them with an irritating “Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit” song of sorts.
They encounter a seductive serving-girl and two angry women, which lead to the two strange travelers being whipped by one of the judges of the Underworld, Aeacus, who in the plot is a doorkeeper and loyal servant of Pluto, the ruler of the realm. (Another Greek God) Finally, the two reach Euripides, but Aeschylus (another great Athenian playwright), is right next to him. They now must decide which of the two to take back to Athens, so Dionysus proposes a contest between the two great playwrights. Whoever’s lines have the most “weight” will cause the balance to tip in their favor.
During the contest, Dionysus redeems himself for his earlier role as the butt of every joke. He now rules the stage, adjudicating the contestants’ squabbles fairly, breaking up their prolonged rants, and applying a deep understanding of Greek tragedy.
Euripides produces verses of his that mention, in turn, the ship Argo, Persuasion and a mace. Aeschylus responds with the river Spercheios, Death and two crashed chariots and two dead charioteers. Since the latter verses refer to “heavier” objects, Aeschylus wins, but Dionysus is still unable to decide whom he will revive.
So finally Pluto forces Dionysus to choose. Even though they set out to bring back Euripides, the god of drama Dionysus, chooses the one he personally prefers: Aeschylus. They end up leaving the angry Euripides behind.
Ponder it and ask what does this remind you of? Is any of this in play? When dealing with those who deal in tragedy to inflict disorder in order to gain footholds…there is a method to the madness. Especially with all the court cases and craziness now leading up to some sort of “face off” in the climax of today’s reality… masked as so very many things.
We are yet in the midst of the Greek Gods and they are displayed as harmless and playworthy? Literary Arts are engulfed with pagan gods and the writings of those who revered them. It is called Philosophy and the great philosophers are their foundation of literary art that all of the literary arts are enamored by… glorifying their words and teaching them more accurately than any Biblical Scriptures for they hold philosophy as great truths, moreso they hold it all harmless and use the very same in politics and governmental dictates. Applauded by scholars and PhD’s because it allows them all to attempt to outwit what they consider the greatest minds of civilization in like manner debates. So, who if any are they going to win over and bring with them down to Hades to try and find their favorite one to bring back with them? It is their version of “Lazarath come forth”. Yet, none have ever been able to duplicate that. So let’s stop procrastinating and think about that for a while?
Whereas it is unclear where the KM Oligarchs believe their philosophical idea of the afterlife shall lead them… followers of the Lord God and His commandments are those who believe what God says is truth and their obedience to God is out of their relationship with Him as their Father and the Father of the Savior Jesus The Messiah, the Lamb of God and King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and High Priest forever by the order of Melchizedek, who shall return as the Lion of Judah to establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, once and for all eternity. God the Father and His Son are One and no one comes to the Father except through His Son.
Therein, lies the spiritual warfare … Mammon verses God Almighty. Each must choose who they shall serve, for there is no going into Hades and deciding who you shall bring back out. That is an Aesop Fable!
Come out from her my people!
KEEP ON PRESSING INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD! PRESS, PRESS, PRESS!
DIANNE
