History Theatre / TheClouds

* TakeThat: An example lost to time; Strepsiades argues that Zeus throws lightning to smite evil-doers, but Socrates retorts that if he did so, wicked men like Simon, Cleonymus and Theorus wouldn't be alive anymore. That'd be pretty funny, if they hadn't died two thousand years before you read it.

* DisproportionateRetribution: When the philosophers fail to teach his son properly, Strepsiades sees fit to burn down the Thinkery.

* PyrrhicVictory: [[spoiler:Strepsiades succeeds at making his son manipulative and driving off his debtors with well-structured nonsense, taught by his son. But then his son turns on him, and even manipulates him into accepting that sons are allowed to hit their fathers and not just the other way round.]]

* GoneHorriblyRight: Strepsiades gets out of debt by turning his freeloading, parasitic son into a ManipulativeBastard and setting him the task of persuading his creditors to go away. He now has a freeloading, parasitic ManipulativeBastard of a son to deal with, and things begin to get worse.

* SolarPoweredMagnifyingGlass: The gods used a set of lenses to ignite the Olympic torch.

%%* VolleyingInsults

* GiantsDropletHumanShower: Referenced by Strepsiades in conversation with Socrates when the latter explains to him that the gods do not exist, and that various metereological phenomena, such as rain and thunder, are caused not by gods, but by the clouds. Strepsiades admits that until now, he used to believe that rain is Zeus "pissing through a sieve."

* AffectionateParody: ''The Clouds'' affectionately ribs Socrates. They were friends in {{Real Life}}.
** Debatable: Socrates was accused of worshiping new gods and being a sophist in his trial, while this play shows him doing exactly that. It's hard for people nowadays to say whether the play was meant to be ridiculous or if there was some indirect accusations in it that Aristophanes didn't want to bring to court. At very least, it's HarsherInHindsight but it might also be a massive TakeThat that led to some younger people taking Socrates to court themselves.

* BiggerIsBetterInBed: {{Inverted|Trope}}. According to the play, if you're a good man, your penis will be nice and small. This reflects contemporary Greek values, which idolized prepubescent males ([[CaptainObvious who aren't known for large penises]]).

* TakeThatAudience: In a fourth-wall-breaking moment. While it differs by translation, basically, the personification of Right Argument suggests clean living is important because otherwise you'll have a radish shoved up your ass and people will thing you're a sodomite. The personification of Unjust Argument then points out there must be nothing wrong with being a sodomite, pointing to all of the ones in the audience.

* TakeThat: An example lost to time; Strepsiades argues that Zeus throw lightning to smite evil-doers, but Socrates retorts that if he did so Simon, Cleonymus and Theorus wouldn't be alive anymore. That'd be pretty funny, if they hadn't died two thousand years before you read it.

* GodLivesInTheSky: The play presents Creator/{{Socrates}} as an atheist who denies the existence of [[Myth/ClassicalMythology a god who throws thunderbolts]] in favor of worshipping the clouds who shit out the thunder. As a [[ParodiedTrope parody of Socratic philosophy]], the idea of worshipping clouds, the sky, and other objects of study in place of the actual gods is PlayedForLaughs.

* TakeThatAudience: In a fourth-wall-breaking moment. While it differs by translation, basically, the personification of Right Argument suggests clean living is important because otherwise you'll have a radish shoved up your ass and people will thing you're a sodomite. The personification of Unjust Argument then points out there must be nothing wrong with being a sodomite, pointing to all of to all the ones in the audience.