Questions: What role does Pluto play in “The Frogs”?
Introduction
Pluto is the god of the underworld and the husband of Persephone. In order to get rid of Euripides, who is causing problems in Hades, Pluto wants that Dionysus will take Euripides back with him.
Teaching for hospitability
When Dionysus reaches Hades, Pluto shows his utmost hospitability and after the finishing of debate between Aeschylus and Euripides, Pluto arranges a royal dinner for Dionysus.
Love for contest
When Pluto hears from Dionysus that Dionysus wants to take anyone between Aeschylus and Euripides, Pluto arranges a literary debating contest so that Dionysus can choose easily the perfect one.
President of the debating contest
Pluto is the respectful leader of Hades. Three chairs are on the stage. Pluto sits on the central chair, Dionysus on his left and Aeschylus on the right. Euripides touches Aeschylus’s chair and says he will not let go of Aeschylus with Dionysus because he is better than Aeschylus. Euripides has continued calling him “the creator of barbarism, a proud loudmouth, / a restless, carefree, blocked face”. Angry, Aeschylus says Euripides is a “bubble collector, creator of a monk and so on. Dionysus warns them not to debate in an aggressive way. Aeschylus jokes that this is not a competition on equal terms because his poem has not died with him though he is not alive. Through this, the playwright upheavals the universal tendency of human beings’ superiority, from their own perspective. As the president of the contest, Pluto is charmed by the controlling and motivational power of Dionysus.
Conclusion
It is right to be said that Aristophanes tries to teach the world that literary works must be evaluated based on the social context. And through the role of Pluto, the playwright asserts that a leader should also have a guardian like Pluto.
