Why is Aristophanes called "The Father of Comedy"? - Mark Robinson

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Ivana Krivokuća

At the annual Athenian drama festival in 426 BC,

Na godišnjem Atinskom festivalu drame 426. godine pre nove ere,

a comic play called The Babylonians,

komedija naslovljena „Vavilonjani”

written by a young poet named Aristophanes,

koju je napisao mladi pesnik po imenu Aristofan

was awarded first prize.

je nagrađena prvim mestom.

But the play’s depiction of Athens’ conduct during the Peloponnesian War

Međutim, dramski prikaz ponašanja Atine tokom peloponeskog rata

was so controversial that afterwards,

je bio toliko kontroverzan da je kasnije

a politician named Kleon took Aristophanes to court

političar po imenu Kleon izveo Aristofana pred sud

for "slandering the people of Athens in the presence of foreigners."

zbog „klevetanja atinskog naroda u prisustvu stranaca.”

Aristophanes struck back two years later with a play called The Knights.

Aristofan je uzvratio udarac dve godine kasnije dramom „Vitezovi”.

In it, he openly mocked Kleon,

U njoj je otvoreno ismevao Kleona,

ending with Kleon’s character working as a lowly sausage seller

a na kraju lik Kleona završava kao nižerazredni prodavac kobasica

outside the city gates.

van gradskih kapija.

This style of satire was a consequence

Ovaj stil satire je bio posledica

of the unrestricted democracy of 5th century Athens

nesputane atinske demokratije u petom veku

and is now called "Old Comedy."

i danas se naziva „starom komedijom”.

Aristophanes’ plays, the world’s earliest surviving comic dramas,

Aristofanove drame, najstarije preživele komedije u svetu,

are stuffed full of parodies, songs, sexual jokes, and surreal fantasy.

pune su parodija, pesama, lascivnih šala i nadrealističnih fantazija.

Često koriste fantastične situacije,

They often use wild situations,

like a hero flying to heaven on a dung beetle,

poput glavnog lika koji leti u nebesa na balegaru

or a net cast over a house to keep the owner’s father trapped inside,

ili mreže prebačene preko kuće da bi vlasnikov otac bio zarobljen unutra,

in order to subvert audience expectations.

a njima se podrivaju očekivanja publike.

And they’ve shaped how comedy’s been written and performed ever since.

I oblikovale su to kako se komedija piše i izvodi do danas.

The word "comedy" comes from the Ancient Greek "komos," – revel,

Reč „komedija” potiče od antičke grčke reči „komos” - pir

and "oide," – singing,

i „oida” - pevanje

and it differed from its companion art form, "tragedy" in many ways.

i razlikovala se na više načina od svog pandana po umetničkom obliku „tragedije”.

Where ancient Athenian tragedies dealt with the downfall of the high and mighty,

Dok su se antičke atinske tragedije bavile propašću velikaša i moćnika,

their comedies usually ended happily.

njihove komedije su obično imale srećan kraj.

And where tragedy almost always borrowed stories from legend,

I dok su tragedije gotovo uvek pozajmljivale priče iz legendi,

comedy addressed current events.

komedije su se bavile aktuelnim događajima.

Aristophanes’ comedies celebrated ordinary people and attacked the powerful.

Aristofanove komedije su slavile obične ljude, a napadale su moćnike.

His targets were arrogant politicians,

Njegove mete su bili arogantni političari,

war-mongering generals,

ratnohuškački generali

and self-important intellectuals,

i samodovoljni intelektualci,

exactly the people who sat in the front row of the theatre,

baš oni ljudi koji su sedeli u prvom redu u pozorištu

where everyone could see their reactions.

gde su svi mogli da vide njihove reakcije.

As a result, they were referred to as komoidoumenoi:

Posledica toga je da su ih nazivali komoidumenoima:

"those made fun of in comedy."

„oni koji su ismevani u komedijama.”

Aristophanes’ vicious and often obscene mockery

Aristofanovo žestoko i često bestidno ismevanje

held these leaders to account, testing their commitment to the city.

je pozivalo vođe na odgovornost, testirajući njihovu posvećenost gradu.

One issue, in particular, inspired much of Aristophanes’ work:

Naročito je jedno pitanje značajno inspirisalo Aristofanova dela:

the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta.

peloponeski rat između Atine i Sparte.

In Peace, written in 421 BC,

U „Miru” napisanom 421. godine p.n.e,

a middle-aged Athenian frees the embodiment of peace from a cave,

sredovečni Atinjanin oslobađa otelotvorenje mira iz pećine,

where she’d been exiled by profiteering politicians.

gde su ga prognali političari profiteri.

Then, in the aftermath of a crushing naval defeat for Athens in 411 BC,

Potom, nakon velikog poraza atinske mornarice 411. godine p.n.e,

Aristophanes wrote "Lysistrata."

Aristofan je napisao „Lizistratu”.

In this play, the women of Athens grow sick of war

U ovoj drami, Atinjankama postaje muka od rata

and go on a sex strike until their husbands make peace.

i kreću u seksualni štrajk dok njihovi muževi ne proglase mir.

Other plays use similarly fantastic scenarios to skewer topical situations,

Druge drame koriste slične fantastične scenarije

kako bi iskrivile aktuelne situacije,

such as in "Clouds,"

kao u „Oblakinjama”,

where Aristophanes mocked fashionable philosophical thinking.

gde je Aristofan ismevao moderno filozofsko razmišljanje.

The hero Strepsiades enrolls in Socrates’s new philosophical school,

Junak Strepsijad se upisuje u Sokratovu novu filozofsku školu

where he learns how to prove that wrong is right

gde uči kako da dokaže da je pogrešno ispravno

and that a debt is not a debt.

i da dȗg nije dȗg.

No matter how outlandish these plays get, the heroes always prevail in the end.

Koliko god čudnovate ove predstave bile, junaci uvek pobede na kraju.

Aristophanes also became the master of the parabasis,

Aristofan je takođe postao majstor parabaze,

a comic technique where actors address the audience directly,

komičke tehnike gde se glumci direktno obraćaju publici,

often praising the playwright or making topical comments and jokes.

često hvaleći dramaturga ili iznoseći aktuelne komentare i šale.

For example, in "Birds,"

Na primer, u „Pticama”,

the Chorus takes the role of different birds

hor preuzima uloge različitih ptica

and threatens the Athenian judges that if their play doesn’t win first prize,

i preti atinskom žiriju da će se,

ako njihova predstava ne osvoji prvo mesto,

they’ll defecate on them as they walk around the city.

prazniti po njima dok budu gradom šetali.

Perhaps the judges didn’t appreciate the joke,

Možda se žiriju nije svidela šala

as the play came in second.

jer je predstava osvojila drugo mesto.

By exploring new ideas

Istražujući nove ideje

and encouraging self-criticism in Athenian society,

i ohrabrujući samokritiku u atinskom društvu,

Aristophanes not only mocked his fellow citizens,

Aristofan ne samo da je ismevao svoje sugrađane,

but he shaped the nature of comedy itself.

već je i oblikovao samu prirodu komedije.

Hailed by some scholars as the father of comedy,

Dok ga neki akademici slave kao oca komedije,

his fingerprints are visible upon comic techniques everywhere,

njegovi otisci su vidljivi u svim komičkim tehnikama,

from slapstick

od slepstika

to double acts

preko komičnih dueta

to impersonations

i imitacije

to political satire.

do političke satire.

Through the praise of free speech and the celebration of ordinary heroes,

Pohvalom slobode govora i slavljenjem običnih junaka,

his plays made his audience think while they laughed.

njegove predstave su terale publiku istovremeno na smeh i na razmišljanje.

And his retort to Kleon in 425 BC still resonates today:

A njegova opaska Kleonu iz 425. godine p.n.e i danas odjekuje:

“I’m a comedian, so I’ll speak about justice,

„Ja sam komičar, pa ću da govorim o pravdi,

no matter how hard it sounds to your ears.”

ma koliko to teško zvučalo vašim ušima.”