Comic intrigue versus tragic intrigue in Aristophanes' Thesmophoriazousae

Thesmophoriazousae is a play with a wide presence of parodic elements taken from the rescue tragedies of Euripides. In the present article we analyze the way in which Aristophanes, when plotting the comic action in this comedy, recreates the typical sequence of a tragic rescue intrigue, in particular Euripides'. We hold that the elements which come after the parabasis in Thesmophoriazousae have an organic value and do not disrupt the comic action since they continue presenting the hero in the pursuit of his goals, thus the paratragedy covers the configuration of comic action from the beginning to the end.