The Knights

Roles

• Sausage seller - Adult (36-50), Senior (>50), Male

About this piece

The sausage seller tells the Chorus how he won the approval of the senate

Summary

The story of this allegorical play focuses mainly on two characters, Cleon and a sausage seller. Cleon is the slave of Thepeople, a character who represents the citizens of Athens. Cleon is the villain of the play and in the beginning to the play two characters, Nicias and Demosthenes, slaves of the same master as Cleon, complain that they have been beaten up by their master and accuse Cleon of being responsible for it. Reading several oracles, the two slaves learn that Cleon will become the ruler of the city but will be replaced by a sausage seller. A sausage seller happens to be passing by and they tell him his destiny. Eventually Cleon and the sausage seller meet and engage in a shouting match. Cleon leaves the stage and the sausage seller follows. When they return, the sausage seller tells the Chorus that he and Cleon have just returned from the senate where they competed for the approval of the senators. In this monologue the sausage seller narrates how he won the approval of the senate.

Tone

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