Lendle

This book contains English language prose versions of two plays, the first of which was written by Jean Racine, and the second by Aristophanes. Suitors, which is often called "The Litigants" in English, is a translation of Racine's play "Les Plaideurs". It was first published in 1669. Aristophanes' Wasps was written in 422 BC, so over 2000 years earlier. Both are comedies, of contrasting styles. Racine's is his only comedy, the plot of which is loosely taken from Wasps. Both authors had run-ins with their respective legal establishments, and this attracted the particular interest of Racine. He was an avid reader of the classics being gifted in both Greek, as needed in this case, and Latin. The humour in Suitors relies on gentle farce, and on the absurdities of human nature. Wasps was also satirical, but viciously so, being politically and socially hard hitting. Racine wrote for the French courts of Louis XIV, and it was in that elitist environment that he lived his whole life. By contrast Aristophanes lived amongst the people and wrote for the people of Athens. Theatre in Ancient Greece was a very important media for the spread of ideas, especially to the less educated classes. Theatre was about entertainment, but also was a vital tool of general communication. In the end there is little real common ground between these plays, but it is hard to study the one without being aware of reference to the other. The plays appear here in the one volume, so that comparison is easily made. By writing both in the same narrative form, and adapting the structure of Wasps to the neoclassical style, I have created easy general reads for everyone. They are also written with English speaking students in mind. Both are written so as to be make theatrical production easy, and both plays make interesting reading as social history. These are not exacting translations, though I have tried to be accurate to original sense throughout. Wasps is the most open to misinterpretation. After so long a period of time since its conception, this is hardly surprising. I am sure academics will frown on certain of my passages, and even I am afraid on my ability to write English. However, as was Aristophanes, I am only really worried about creating scripts that engage with as many people as possible.