Why did Old Comedy use harsh personal attacks on public figures?

Old Comedy, most notably represented by the works of Aristophanes, utilized harsh personal attacks and outspoken political criticism because it functioned within the uniquely open political environment of 5th-century BCE Athens.12

These plays were rooted in early religious rituals honoring Dionysus, which traditionally incorporated abuse, obscenity, and revelry intended to avert evil and encourage fertility. This legacy of "wild robustness" evolved into a form of high-spirited satire where playwrights felt free to lash out at contemporary evils with uninhibited inventiveness.3412

Key features of this approach included:
* The Parabasis: A specific segment of the play where the chorus would break the action to address the audience directly, often hurling scurrilous criticism at prominent citizens and commenting on topical events.13
* Political Freedom: Aristophanes operated during a period of extraordinary political openness, allowing him to lampoon demagogues like Cleon, critique war policies, and mock public figures like Socrates and Euripides by name.32