The aim of this paper is to illustrate how the Greek comedy of 5th and 4th century constructs the character of the philosopher, that becomes a typical role of New Comedy. The prototype is the Socrates of Aristophanes’ Clouds, who has indeed some realistic connotations (as we can infer from the works of Plato and Xenophon) but combines also caricatural elements drawn from comical portraits of scientists and other intellectuals (Thales, Meton, Protagoras). Aristophanes’ Socrates is a funny sophist, who looks up to heaven (to the aetheric inconsistency of the clouds) but doesn’t forget to point at more material satisfactions. After the Clouds, and having this play as a model, Greek comedy develops the type character of the hungry philosopher, who pretends to be virtuous but wants only to fill his belly.

I filosofi a teatro? Fanno ridere. Le "Nuvole" di Aristofane / G. Zanetto - In: La filosofia a teatro / [a cura di] A. Costazza. - Cisalpino. Istituto Editoriale Universitario. - Milano : Cisalpino. Istituto Editoriale Universitario, 2010 May. - ISBN 978-88-205-1004-6. - pp. 135-150 (( convegno La filosofia a teatro tenutosi a Milano nel 2009.

I filosofi a teatro? Fanno ridere. Le "Nuvole" di Aristofane

G. Zanetto
Primo
2010

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to illustrate how the Greek comedy of 5th and 4th century constructs the character of the philosopher, that becomes a typical role of New Comedy. The prototype is the Socrates of Aristophanes’ Clouds, who has indeed some realistic connotations (as we can infer from the works of Plato and Xenophon) but combines also caricatural elements drawn from comical portraits of scientists and other intellectuals (Thales, Meton, Protagoras). Aristophanes’ Socrates is a funny sophist, who looks up to heaven (to the aetheric inconsistency of the clouds) but doesn’t forget to point at more material satisfactions. After the Clouds, and having this play as a model, Greek comedy develops the type character of the hungry philosopher, who pretends to be virtuous but wants only to fill his belly.
Letteratura greca ; commedia antica ; Aristofane ; tipi comici
Settore L-FIL-LET/02 - Lingua e Letteratura Greca
mag-2010
Università degli Studi di Milano
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/141795
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