O agón cômico de Plutarco e o retórico de aves de Aristófanes

Abstract

This paper analyzes the agón in Aristophanes’ Birds, by comparing it with the agón between Aristophanes and Menander in Plutarch’s Moralia. At first we discuss how this resource was a characteristic element of the Greek pólis, especially at Athens. We then assess how the agón was formed in Aristophanes’ comedies. In this play, the parodos mark the beginning of a great task: the creation of a large city between heaven and earth with the birds, called Nephelococcygia. The realization of this project is sub‑ ject to the success of the comic hero Pisthetaerous in the comedy’s agón. We note that in this part there is a discussion among four characters: Pisthetaerous, Euelpides, the Hoopoe and the Chorus. The first character who has a reference to persuasion in his own name (Pisthetaerous: “the persuasive friend”) is gifted with an incredible ability to convince and realizes his plans through his speech. Keywords – Greek comedy, rhetoric, speech, dispute.