The Birds

by Aristophanes

The Birds Background

The Birds premiered at the theater of Dionysus at Athens as part of the festival taking
place in that city in what would have been March of 414 B.C. As proof that some things
never change, today this comedy is generally agreed to be one of the prime works to
spring from the pen of Aristophanes, yet it managed only to take only second prize in
competition at the festival.
Roughly a year earlier, a mighty military force set off in hopes of conquering Syracuse
and devastating Sicily. The Peloponnesian War was raging and Athenians were
fired with martial expectation that their empire was about to grow by significant degrees.
As a result, rumors were flying about concerning the progress of the invasion like birds
dancing in flight formations. Anyone who has ever heard something described as
CloudCuckooLand and wondered from where that term derived need wonder no more:
CloudCuckooland is a city in the sky built by birds that is the symbol of ridiculously
misplaced optimism that verges on outright delusional lunacy.
The streets of Athens existed far below the ephemeral avenues and boulevards of the sky,
but The Birds has been interpreted as a response by Aristophanes to the unwieldy and
insupportable expectations that upon the return of their victorious soldiers, Sicily would
essentially be little more than colony over which their city-state imposed absolute
authority.
Rumors of the construction of CloudCuckooland mirror those rumors coming from Sicily
and soon enough the fictional Athenians of Aristophanes salivating over the prospect of
new fields to conquer and exploit mirrors the same anticipation of those in the real life
Athens. Eventually, the city in the sky takes on a more expansive symbolic image as a
utopian ideal where everyone’s dreams can come true.

A year after The Birds appeared and two years after the military forces took off on
their engagement, overly optimistic anticipation turned into stunned disbelief and panic
as the outcome of the invasion finally became clear: every last Athenian soldier had
either been killed or captured and sold into slavery. Athenian CloudCuckoolanders fell
from the fictional utopia in the sky and landed with the sickening thud of reality in the
actual Athens below.

The Birds Summary

The play begins with Peisetaerus and Euelpides attempting to make their way across
a hillside with their birds directing them seemingly in no apparent direction that will get
them to their destination. Euelipides has a crow and Peisetaerus, a jackdaw. The two
middle-aged men have decided to seek a new land to live in as they are through with
Athens, it is too much law and argument for their taste. The men are seeking Tereus, a
man who has been transformed into the Hoopoe in hopes he will help them find a better
way of living somewhere else.
They arrive at a door where a bird which strikes fear in them answers, he is Tereus'
servant. Tereus then comes out to them and they see that he hardly has any feathers upon
his body, as he says is due to molting. Peisetaerus has the idea that the birds should stop
flying around aimlessly in the sky and instead build a giant city in-between the men of
earth and the gods of the heavens in order that the birds can catch all of the sacrifices of
man and thus have the power over the gods as they will begin to starve without the
sacrifices. Tereus the Hoopoe summons the birds with a song. Upon the birds arrival they
appear to want to attack the men, but are talked out of it. Peisetaerus tells the birds of a
plan that will allow them to be the gods to reign over man instead of Zeus and his
children. The plan for the great city is set out before them and the birds agree that it is an
excellent idea.

Peisetaerus and Euelpides retire into Tereus' home in order to be transformed into birds
themselves. The Chorus then gives the genealogy of the gods, in which they claim that
the birds are the children of Eros and the grandchildren of Night and Erebus, giving them
claim to the earth over the current gods. The middle-aged travelers come out of Tereus'
home transformed, as best they could be, into birds, and proclaim that the name of the
new city built by the birds will be Cloudcuckooland. Peisetaerus begins to perform
religious ceremonies, sacrifices in honor of the new gods, the birds who have begun to
build their great city in the sky. Upon his attempt to sacrifice, Peisetaerus is interrupted
by multiple visitors which he has to run off including a Poet, an Oracle-Monger, Meton,
an Informer, a Decree-Seller. Peisetaerus then returns indoors to finish the religious
ceremony.

Upon his return outside, Peisetaerus is greeted by an messenger who says that the bird
city is already been completed. A second messenger arrives stating that one of the gods of
Olympus has broken through the bird city, it is the goddess Iris who is cornered by the
birds and interrogated and insulted by Peisetaerus before being allowed to return back to
Zeus. A third messenger arrives to say that men are flocking to the bird's newly formed
city. One man arrives to Peisetaerus as he is inspired by the birds allowing permission to
beat ones father, a right he would like to have. Next, Cinesias, the poet arrives, followed
by a man that wishes to take advantage of having wings to prosecute those who he
summons. This man is kicked out by Peisetaerus.

Next, Prometheus arrives, but hides his face so as not to be seen by Zeus. He has come
to let Peisetaerus know that the gods are starving because the bird city is blocking all of
the sacrifices from reaching them. Prometheus tells him that the gods want peace
desperately, he tells Peisetaerus not to give up negotiating until he gets both Zeus'
lightning bolt scepter and his princess, Sovereignty who is the real power of Zeus.
Prometheus leaves and Poseidon, Heracles and Triballians, an oafish god worshipped by
barbarians arrive to negotiate peace with Peisetaerus. With Prometheus' advice in tow,
Peisetaerus is able to get the three gods to concede to giving him Zeus' scepter and his
princess. Peisetaerus is then married to the princess with Zeus' scepter in his hand.

The Birds Character List

Peisetaerus
Peisetaerus is the protagonist of the play. He and Euelpides are traveling away from
Athens in order to seek a new place to live, to get away from the politics and laws of the
Athenians. He is partially transformed into a bird after instructing the bird on how to
become the new gods that man will worship. He negotiates to gain Zeus' scepter and to
marry Zeus' princess in order that the gods won't starve from the new bird city taking all
of the sacrifices from man before they reach the heavens.
Euelpides
Euelpides is a middle-aged man traveling with Peisetaerus in order to leave Athens and
find a new home. He is transformed into a bird and becomes part of the plot to take the
power from the Olympus gods and give it to the birds to be worshiped as the new gods.
Chorus-Leader
The Chorus-Leader speaks as the leader of the birds. He firsts wants to attack Peisetaerus
and Euelpides, but after hearing Peisetaerus' plan for the birds to become the new gods he
swiftly assembles all of the birds to build the city which disrupts the gods receiving
sacrifices and causes Zeus to concede his scepter and princess.
Tereus
Tereus was formally a man of the world. He was transformed into a bird, the Hoopoe.
Tereus helps Peisetaerus and Euelpides to meet the birds and eventually turns the two
men into birds.
Prometheus
Prometheus is the god who comes to Peisetaerus and gives him the necessary knowledge
of how to negotiate with the gods, which becomes the exact leverage Peisetaerus needs in
order that the birds become the new gods of man.

The Birds Glossary

Lurk
be or remain hidden so as to wait in ambush for someone or something.
Advance
To approach
Trod
To walk along
Wise
Intelligent
calamitous
Disastrous
Protracted
lasting for a long time
Feeble
Weak

The Birds Themes

Power
Power is one of the main themes in the play. Peisetaerus and Euelpides have left
Athens because the power-mongering over laws has become too much for them. But,
they soon teach the birds how to become the new gods. Aristophanes shows how
easily it is for power structures to be created through past tales revealing genealogy,
impatience, and vanity.
New Gods
This theme has to do with the fact that men, once they learn of the new gods -- the birds,
attempt to manipulate them to get an upper-hand in their schemes for money on earth.
This theme reveals that man will follow whatever god will best suit their abilities to grow
more wealthy and allow them more leniency in their acts.
Morality
Morality is a major theme of this play. Peisetaerus sets out to get away from all of the
laws of Athens, and in turn sets up the new gods that will allow man and him to need not
the necessity of denial, that all of their desires would come true. Worshiping the birds as
gods has to do directly with the fact that man will follow any god that allows them to
continue to do bad, rather than be transformed into right living.

Quotes
"He's the sharpest of foxes,
all ingenuity, a dead-shot, am old hand, the
sieved meal of subtlety."
Tereus
Tereus says this to the Chorus-Leader when asked if Peisetaerus is insane based what he
is presenting as his idea for them to be the new gods, but Tereus knows that his idea is
one that will allow the birds to reign and thus sets up Peisetaerus as a man that must be
listened to.
 "How could these men ever give us any valuable instruction or advice?
They are the enemies of our feathers and our forefathers!"
Chorus-Leader
Chorus-Leader, the head of the birds says this to Tereus and the statement represents how
man has fooled his kind before. The expectation then is for deceit to come once more.
"That's right. By words a man is uplifted and his mind is made to soar
aloft. And in the same way I want to give wings to your mind by my
good advice, and make you turn to a lawful occupation."
Peisetaerus
Peisetaerus says this to the Informer who has come in order to get wings for his
profession, and Peisetaerus then tells him the wings he must receive are ones that permit
him to give up his awful profession and change his ways.

The Birds Analysis

This play has within it the revelation of vanity, morality, law, nature and religion all
wrapped in a comedic tone. The protagonist of the play, Peisetaerus leads his
friend Euelpides away from Athens as the constant arguing over the law has
disallowed them from living the life they want. Thus, they begin their own religion by
creating the new gods, the birds for man to worship. What becomes quite comical is
when Peisetaerus attempts to perform the religious ceremonies to the birds. Here the
religious sacrifices are interrupted constantly by messengers, men and finally a
god, Prometheus who in his infinite mischief wants nothing more than for man to have
the power over Zeus.
The play deals with the question as to whether one forming his own religion actually
creates a better life, or does it simply create a loophole for others with questionable
morals to squeeze through so that they can do devious things without
repercussions? Aristophanes also deals with man's need to have desire in their life,
seemingly a foremost right perpetrated by the Greeks that without it we would be lost.
But, at the same time the allowing for desire to be the driving force leads simply to a
grotesque version of society which praises lustful acts.
In the end, Peisetaerus is able to gain Zeus's power, both of war (his scepter) and of
sovereignty (his princess). These are the two things that man seeks, to be able to love and
destroy with the greatest of power. Now possessing these two, Peisetaerus has brought
the gods down to the level of mere mortals and man has been elevated as they now take
the pleasure of stealing from the gods as the gods have taken from man.

The Birds Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

Unwelcomed Visitors Motif
Aristophanes has three arrivals of unwelcome visitors that become a motif in the play.
The first are the messengers, the second the men seeking the new gods to give them
wings and the third the gods themselves sent to negotiate for Zeus.
Wings
The characters are given wings and a head crown of a bird, but they don't fully transform
into birds. This is a symbol of the fact that no man can fully leave himself behind to start
a new life.
The Princess
The Princess is Zeus' love, and said to be his greatest power. She is a symbol of Zeus'
sovereignty over the earth that he gives up.
Scepter
Zeus has a lightning bolt for a scepter that Peisetaerus eventually takes. This scepter is a
symbol of Zeus' ability to bring fear to the people and thus have them bow to him as a
god.
Birds
The characters' quest to become birds is a main need in the play. This is a symbol that
they seek to fly above the arguing over laws that men currently do in Athens. They seek a
higher way of life.

The Birds Metaphors and Similes

Story of the gods
Aristophanes uses Aesop's tales of the beginning of creation and the gods on earth in
order to show that the birds have first rights to be gods. This is a metaphor for how many
use stories of mythology to create their actual authority in life on earth above others.
Feed in Gardens
Tereus says that in Birdland, "we feed in gardens on white sesame, myrtle-berries,
poppies and bergamot." This is a metaphor for the sexual appetites of the men there as the
flowers represent women and an unrestrained way of living.
The gods
The gods, Poseidon, Heracles and Triballians arrive and quickly concede both of Zeus'
main sources of power in order that they would be able to receive sacrificial offerings and
no longer starve. This is a metaphor that the gods need man in order to survive as much
as man needs the gods.
Sovereignty
The Princess is said to be Zeus' greatest weapon, even greater than his lightning bolt. The
Princess represents Zeus' sovereignty, which is a metaphor that love is actually the
greatest ruling power.
Half-Transformed
Peisetaerus and Euelpides both are transformed into birds by Tereus. But, they are only
partially transformed. This is a symbol that these are no longer men, and only half birds.
Though they seek to escape one form to become another, they are only capable of going
so far in their metamorphosis.

The Birds Irony

Becoming Birds
Peisetaerus and Euelpides desire to become birds and Tereus agrees to transform them.
Ironically, they only get wings and the crowns of the birds and aren't fully transformed. It
isn't even certain if they can fly with their new wings.
Bird Call
Tereus calls the birds to greet the two travelers who have an idea to make them great as
gods. Ironically, the birds want to kill the men as they arrive because they are historically
enemies to man.
Negotiation
Poseidon, Heracles, and Triabllians arrive to negotiate with Peisetaerus. Ironically, three
gods who could crush him simply give up Zeus' two greatest powers in a matters of
minutes because they are starving to be fed from the sacrifices of men again.
Bird City
Peisetaerus has just set before the birds the proposal for a new city for them, they leave
and soon return. Ironically the birds have been able to build the city in a matter of time so
astounding it shocks Peisetaerus as they use all the birds of the world working in
harmony to create it in a matter of moments.
Directions
Peisetaerus and Euelpides are being led by their birds, a jackdaw and a crow who they
were told would lead them exactly where they want to go. Ironically, the birds lead them
into a rocky wilderness that seems to have no end. It's only when they stop their
complaining that they realize their birds have told them to look up and not out for the
destination they seek.

The Birds Imagery

The Bird's City
The creation of the bird's new city creates the imagery of thousands upon thousands of
birds performing duties swiftly and accurately that enable the city to be created in a
matter of time so short it astounds Peisetaerus. It reveals the industriousness and the
seemingly unending supply of birds for the task.
Visitors
Aristophanes creates waves of visitors that come to see Peisetaerus as he is performing a
religious ceremony to sacrifice to the birds. The imagery creates a comical sequence that
interrupts a sacred ceremony with the pleading and seemingly small needs of people and
their reports.
The Garden
Tereus describes how the birds feed on different trees and flowers in the gardens they live
in. The imagery he creates has a double meaning of beauty but also of sexual desire being
fulfilled as Peisetaerus and Euelpides don't have an adult-mind for sexual feelings.
Negotiations
Aristophanes creates a negotiation between Poseidon, Heracles, Triballians and
Peisetaerus where it seems they have come to crush him. But, instead the imagery shows
how willing the gods are to concede all of their power and rights simply because they are
hungry, and Triballians, who is the god of the barbarians, appears to be incapable to
speaking anything other than gibberish.

The Birds Literary Elements

Genre
Comedy
Language
Greek
Setting and Context
A Hillside Wilderness outside of Athens, Greece - 414 BC
Narrator and Point of View
The point of view is that of Peisetaerus.
Tone and Mood
Comedic
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist is Peisetaerus. Antagonists are Poseidon, Heracles, and
Triballians.
Major Conflict
Peisetaerus and Euelpides have left Athens in order to find Tereus, and
man who has become a bird to help them discover a new place to live
out life.
Climax
Peisetaerus and Euelpides turn into birds and give the birds the idea for
how to become the new gods. Peisetaerus negotiates with Poseidon,
Heracles and Triballians and gets Zeus' scepter and Princess, whom he
weds.
Foreshadowing
Tereus coming out as a bird foreshadows that Peisetaerus and
Euelpides will themselves turn into birds.
Understatement
It is understated as to why Zeus would allow Poseidon, Heracles, and
Triballians to give up his scepter and the Princess so easily.
Allusions
The play is an allusion to the need for man to leave the legalism and
argument over the law and find a way of living that sets them apart
from both man and the gods.
Imagery
The waves of visitors that come into the play create the most comedic
imagery in the story.
Paradox
Zeus' greatest power is the Princess and his scepter. Paradoxically, he
allows other gods to give them away.
Parallelism
The arrival of Poseidon, Heracles and Triballians parallels the arrival of
the other visitors just before them; the messengers, the poet, informer,
et al.
Personification
Peisetaerus becomes the personification of power when he takes Zeus'
lightning bolt and Princess for his own.
Use of Dramatic Devices
The use of the Chorus throughout the play allows for them to represent
the birds and the foolishness and/or the wonder of the protagonist
within the plot of the play.

Essay Questions
1. 1
Who are the gods that are sent down to negotiate with
Peisetaerus?
Poseidon, Hercales and Triballians are sent to negotiate on behalf of
Zeus, the father of the gods. Triballians is not a traditional god in
 Greek mythology, and here represents the god to the barbarians and
speak incoherently. The three of them compose a comedic sequence
that shows the gods willing to give up all of their power and rights
without a fight.
2. 2
Why do Peisetaerus and Euelpides leave Athens?
At the beginning of the play Peisetaerus and Euelpides are seen
wondering the rocky wilderness after having left Athens for good.
The reason for their departure is that they are finished with the
constant arguing of the men in the city over the law. Instead of
enduring it another day, they have sought out Tereus, a man who
has metamorphosed into a bird in order to show them where and
how to live a life away from the Athenian culture.
3. 3
Why do the gods have to negotiate with Peisetaerus?
Peisetaerus has convinced the birds that they are the true gods of the
earth that man should be worshiping by stating in Aesop's tales they
came before the gods. This leads the birds to create a city in the sky
which will intercept the sacrifices of man bound for the gods of
Olympus, and thus cause them to starve and be willing to give up
their powers as gods in order to have food.