The Wasps

St Patrick’s College, Strathfield presents Aristophanes comic play The Wasps at the Powell Pavilion, a first for the College.

The play was first performed in 422 BC at the Linea and won second prize.

The plot involves two main characters Procleon and Anticleon, father and son. Procleon has an obsession with sitting on juries and Anticleon his son, wants to cure his father of this addiction. So he tries to lock him in his house, but Procleon tries to escape many times, one of which he pretends he is going to sell his donkey at the market but hides underneath the donkey.

The father and son have a debate and Anticleon decides to set up a court in their house and have a trial about a dog, yes a dog, who has stolen Sicilian cheese. The chorus, a fascinating swarm of wasps, with their sting ready to prick is made up of old jury men, often talk about the Persian wars. Whereas the first half is mainly about the jury and the second half includes Anticleon and Procleon attending a dinner party in which Procleon steals a flute girl and gets very drunk.