Essay on Aristophanes’ Lysistrata - 936 Words

Aristophanes’ Lysistrata is an excellent example of satirical drama in a relatively fantastical comedy. He proceeds to show the absurdity of the Peloponnesian War by staging a battle of the sexes in front of the Acropolis, worshipping place of Athena. Tied into all of this is the role of sex and reason and is evident in the development of some characters and the lack of development in others. Although the play is centered on Lysistrata, the story is truly propelled by the ideas of sex and reason. The dialogue of Lysistrata is filled with double meaning, and most every character takes the sexual meaning. During the oath, the flash of wine symbolizes the male sex organ, and the black bowl the female genitalia. Dionysus, as god of both†¦show more content†¦/ What we need is good common-sensequot; (546-47). Here, Lysistrata is the voice of reason. She is able to ignore the obvious desire of the men and her women and maintain a levelheaded outlook on the situation. Later in the play, Lysistrata comes out of the Acropolis with a gloomy face. She is downhearted; all the women want to go sleep with men, and are deserting. They are all thinking of excuses to go home. One woman comes out, for she wants to go home to protect her best wool from moths. All she wants to do is lay it out on the bed. Another woman wants to go home to strip her flax. A third wants to go out to find a midwife, even though she was not pregnant the day before. Lysistrata sees this woman and feels her belly, finding that she has stuffed the helmet from the statue of Athena in her gown. She sees through all their lies and makes them return to the Acropolis. The helmet of Athena is the helmet of Wisdom and Reason, symbolizing how the women, with the exception of Lysistrata, are also losing their reason and giving in to their passions. Still later, the Chorus of Men and the Chorus of Women begin to argue, threatening to hit and kick one another. When one of the men goes to kick, a woman remarks that hes got a quot;leg with bushy hairquot; (1062). When one of the women goes to kick a man, he remarks that he sees something. The woman replies, quot;Whate’er you see, you cannot say / That I’m not neatlyShow MoreRelated Lysistrata Of Aristophanes Essay1202 Words   |  5 Pages The Lysistrata of Aristophanes Aristophanes was a satirist who produced Lysistrata around 413 BC when the news of Athen’s warships had been destroyed near Sicily. For twenty-one years, while Athens was engaged in war, he relentlessly and wittliy attacked the war, the ideals of the war, the war party and the war spirit. This risked his acceptance and his Athenian citizenship. Lysistrata is probably the oldest comedy which has retained a place in modern theatre. It primarily deals with two themesRead MoreLysistrata by Aristophanes650 Words   |  3 Pagesand war, right? Right! Aristophanes play â€Å"Lysistrata† is exactly that, but with a twist. 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