Though both Euripides and Aeschylus have just presented a compelling argument that each is the better poet and that each is better suited to save Athens, Dionysus instead chooses to “select the man [his] soul desires,” or the man whose poetry most moves him. With this,
The Frogs perhaps suggests that engaging with literature in a critical, focused manner can deepen a person’s appreciation for it. Indeed, after hearing Aeschylus and Euripides make their respective arguments, Dionysus goes back on his initial impulse to bring back Euripides, opting to revive Aeschylus instead. This, it seems, is the result of having spent time thoughtfully considering Aeschylus’s work, ultimately suggesting that this kind of careful rumination can change a person’s mind (since Dionysus originally came to bring back Euripides, not Aeschylus).