Tereo, l'uomo upupa di Aristofane: una metamorfosi incompiuta

Tereus, the Aristophanes’ man-hoopoe: a incomplete metamorphosis The essay examines the theatrical function in the Aristophanes’ Birds of Tereus, protagonist of the homonymous Sophocles’ tragedy, where he was transformed into a hoopoe, because of a cruel family affair. His self- professed condition as a refugee from the tragic stage has important metatheatrical implications. Thanks to several human traits that he still retains, he acts as a benevolent bridge between the community of the birds and two Athenians, Peisetairos and Evelpides, who fled from Athens looking for a new city, where they can live in peace. However his role as a mediator isn’t anodyne: by making his human part prevail, he plays a cataylitic role in the development of the plot, becoming a condescend- ing tool for the realization of the plan of the comic hero Peisetairos.