The Frogs by Aristophanes

This short two-act play by the ancient Greek composer, Aristophanes is a masterpiece of comic theatre. The Frogs is the story of Dionysius, the god of drama, searching for a poet to save the city of Athens which leads him and his slave, Xanthias into the underworld to seek out the best classical poet.
This notion, that 'a poet should teach a lesson, make people into better citizens' is used to comic effect by Aristophanes.The slapstick routines of the characters and the farcical portrayal of gods and their slaves makes for an enjoyable and entertaining read, unlike other intimidating classical texts, Aristophanes writes in the common language of man which maintains its humour to the present day.
As Dionysius is ferried into the underworld by Charon, there is a humourous encounter with the frog chorus who insist that Dionysius join in with their song, he refuses and is mocked. When he arrives in the underworld  he meets the ancient poets Euripides and Aeschylus and under the guidance of Pluto a contest is held to determine who is the greater poet. Each poet proceeds to mock each others work to win the audience's approval. The Frogs is both comical and critical of poetry, Aristophanes' masterful wit questions the value of common vulgar modern poetry, such as that of Euripides to the far-fetched epic tradition of Aeschylus. The latter is ultimately the victor of the contest and the play concludes with Dionysius escorting him back to Athens to save the city.
I chose to read this play simply on a whim, and my curiosity paid off as I believe Aristophanes' work is still relevant and capable of providing inspiration to the modern day audience.