Aristophanes’ The Clouds is as insightful as it is crude. Often an assigned preliminary text before jumping into Plato, The Clouds offers a different perspective on Socrates. Dcn. Harrison Garlick discussed The Clouds with the always wonderful Dr. Zena Hitz. The guide, like the podcast conversation, dives into the play’s biting humor, its critique of Athenian society, and its timeless questions about education, piety, and moral decay.
From the Thinkery’s absurd teachings to the mysterious Clouds, Dcn. Garlick and Dr. Hitz unpack the play’s relevance to modern audiences, exploring themes of social ambition, familial breakdown, and the consequences of abandoning traditional values.
Here is everything you receive in the guide:
8 pages unpacking the hilarity and wisdom that is The Clouds
An introductory letter from Dcn. Garlick
A breakdown of five preliminary themes to consider before reading
10 robust questions on the text
If you want to understand The Clouds well, you could ask for no better teacher than Dr. Zena Hitz.
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Introductory Letter by Dcn. Garlick
Dear Ascend Book Club Members,
The Clouds is hilarious, vulgar, and profound. I had the great privilege of discussing this text with Dr. Zena Hitz, a tutor at St. John’s College and the founder of the Catherine Project. Dr. Hitz is wonderful, and I am certainly in her debt for her insights into this famous comedy. Our conversation is the basis of this guide, and it is my hope these introductory themes and substantive questions will help illuminate a text that is very much worth your time.
Below is the full guide available to download. A tremendous resource!