Broastele, de Aristofan (405 i.e.n. - locul 1)

* Dionysos - zeul vinului, teatrului si al extazului
* Xanthias - sclavul lui
* Heracles - semizeu, fratele lui Dionysos
* Charon - luntrasul de pe Stix si Acheron
* Eac
* o sclava a Persefonei
* un sclav al lui Pluton
* Pluton
* Euripide
* Eschil
* corul broastelor
* corul initiatilor

Satira literara si religioasa. Aristofan reia si apara cu argumente noi teza ca arta este un mijloc de indreptare sociala si morala, iar poetii trebuie cinstiti pentru ca imprastie pricepere si invatatura, facandu-i pe oameni mai buni.
Piesa "Broastele" cuprinde doua parti: cea dintai infatiseaza calatoria lui Dyonisos in infern, a doua este comparatia intre Euripide si Eschil. Euripide murise cu un an inainte de punerea in scena a acestei piese.

Peripetiile zeului il pun in situatii dintre cele mai ridicole, Aristofan dand frau liber vervei sale bufonice. El il arata pe Dionisos fricos, betiv, egoist. Chiar la inceputul piesei e ironizat de Hercule. At the question of which road is quickest to get to Hades, Heracles replies with the options of hanging yourself, drinking poison, or jumping off a tower. Dionysus opts for the longer journey across a lake (possibly Lake Acheron); the one which Heracles took himself.

When Dionysus arrives at the river, Charon ferries him across. Xanthias, being a slave, is not allowed in the boat, because he was unable to take part in the Battle of Arginusae, and has to walk around it. As Dionysus helps row, he hears a chorus of croaking frogs (the only scene in the play featuring frogs). Their chant - "Brekekekex-koax-koax" - is constantly 
repeated, and Dionysus chants with them until he gets bored. When he arrives at the shore, 
Dionysus meets up with Xanthias, who teases him by claiming to see the frightening monster 
Empusa. A second chorus composed of spirits of Dionysian Mystics soon appear.

The next encounter is with Aeacus, who mistakes Dionysus for Heracles due to his attire. Still angry over Heracles' theft of Cerberus, Aeacus threatens to unleash several monsters on him in revenge. Scared, Dionysus trades clothes with Xanthias. A maid then arrives and is happy to see Heracles. She invites him to a feast with virgin dancing girls, and Xanthias is more than happy to oblige. But Dionysus quickly wants to trade back the clothes. Dionysus, back in the Heracles lion-skin, encounters more people angry at Heracles, and so he makes Xanthias trade a third time.

When Aeacus returns, Xanthias tells him he should torture Dionysus to obtain the truth as to whether or not he is really a thief, and he offers several brutal options in which to do it. The terrified Dionysus tells the truth that he is a god. After each is whipped, Dionysus is brought before Aeacus' masters, and the truth is verified.

In opera lui Eschil se vede intentia e a dezvolta sentimentele de incredere si solidaritate ale cetateanului, in timp ce Euripide infatiseaza oameni sceptici, chinuiti de contradictii tulburatoare si de pasiuni vinovate sau coplesiti de grijile lor marunte. Aristofan pretuieste patosul cetatenesc al tragediei lui Eschil si crede ca arta lui Euripide nu ajuta destul, ba chiar franeaza masurile luate in interes obstesc.
In confruntarea dintre cei doi poeti, Eschil este invinuit, printre altele, de stangacie in construirea pieselor, de incetineala in desfasurarea actiunii, de inclinare spre grandilocventa si de folosirea unor cuvinte neobisnuite, in schimb este pretuit pentru etica lui superioara si pentru inaltimea inspiratiei sale dinamice si optimiste.
Lui Euripide i se recunoaste mai multa pricepere in problemele formale, ca alcatuirea pieselor si alegerea cuvintelor, dar i se face o vina grava pentru lipsa de hotarare sau pentru slabiciunea morala a eroilor sai, pentru structura nu destul de inchegata a versurilor si ideilor si pentru continutul prea putin decent si armonios al muzicii sale.