The god Dionysus and his servant Xanthias do not hesitate to descend into the dark Hades to find a great poet and return with him to the world of the living. Their adventurous journey ends in a strange contest, with two top poets, Aeschylus and Euripides, as opponents. But behind this "duel," Aristophanes sets up a wonderful allegory about poetry, the art that can sweeten and give meaning to the darkened lives of people.