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How did the parabasis allow Aristophanes to address Athenian audiences?
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Aristophanes
Aristophanes, portrait bust, c. 4thâ1st century bce; in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
The parabasis was a vital structural element in Old Comedy that allowed Aristophanes to communicate directly with his audience. During this intermission, the actors would leave the stage, and the chorus would step forward, facing and moving toward the spectators to break the dramatic illusion.12
This technique served as a platform for the