why is lysistrata a comedy

Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal “You’re not spreading anything on any bed,” replies Lysistrata (733).

Therefor, this comedy, Aristophanes was not a proponent of the majority of Athenian culture, as well as other aspects of Greek life as whole.

Comedies combined poetry with coarse language. Lysistrata assures the other women it won't be long; their husbands are in worse shape than they are.

The Peloponnesian War was fought between Athens and Sparta because Sparta feared that Athens would become powerful and prosperous. She thinks the audience regarded the male actor as neither the man he was in real life, nor the woman he represented, but a representation of the woman. Soon men start showing up, trying everything to persuade their women to release them from their pointedly visible torments, but to no avail. In the Greek playwright Aristophanes’ comedy Lysistrata, the female characters withhold sex from their husbands to bring an end to the Peloponnesian War' (ibid.). Aristophanes wrote this play during a time when Athens was undergoing a crisis with its social attitudes. Aristophanes, the Ancient Greek Comedy Writer, Biography of Alcibiades, Ancient Greek Soldier-Politician, 30 Maps of Ancient Greece Show How a Country Became an Empire, Political Aspects of the Classical Age of Greece, Ancient Greek Eroticism - An Introduction, The Thirty Tyrants After the Peloponnesian War, The Peloponnesian War: Causes of the Conflict, M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota, "The sexual theme is just an attention-grabber. N.S. The male characters wore large, erect leather phalluses like the one whose absence (see opening quote) Lysistrata laments.

The comedy actors dressed in weird costumes that had paddled bellies or rumps for outrageous effects. Where does The Pirates of Penzance take place? 22 Catherine Fonck, quoted in BBC News (n. 18). Aristophanes' Lysistrata is an Old Comedy staged in 411 BC at the Lenaea, the religious drama festival. It is often used to make people laugh, think and enjoy; however, it can also be used, unintentionally, for manipulation. The play deals with a group of women who attempt to stop the Peloponnesian War by going on a sex strike. It is an anti-war comedy written during the time of the Peloponnesian War. The play suggests that Lysistrata wants the war to end so that the husbands could safely return home to stay with their wives. The idea that women could stop a war and exert power over men is what makes Lysistrata a comedy. Lysistrata: Lysistrata is an ancient Greek play written by Sophocles in 411 BC. - Definition, Characteristics & Examples, Satire, Parody, or Spoof: Types of Humorous Writing, Mystery Genre: Definition, Characteristics & Elements, Novels: Definition, Characteristics & Examples, Greek Tragedy: Definition, Characteristics & Plays, Satire in Literature: Definition, Types & Examples, Introduction to Renaissance Literature: Characterizing Authors and Works, What is Historical Fiction? Lysistrata acts as go-between Sparta and Athens. "The convention of male actors playing female roles does appear to intrude into the text, just as it may have intruded into the performance. All of this served as ammunition for Aristophanes' play. - Definition, Characteristics, Books & Authors, The Importance of Being Earnest Study Guide, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Study Guide, MEGA Elementary Education ELA Subtest: Practice & Study Guide, AP English Literature: Homework Help Resource, 12th Grade English: Homework Help Resource, Biological and Biomedical The connection between Lysistrata and the society and culture surrounding it is deeply significant. People claim Aristophanes’ work, Lysistrata, to be an attack on the political structure of ancient Greece, and it can be argued that the play incited the Athenian coupe of 411 BC (Ruffell, 2013, p. 270).

All rights reserved. "- From BMCR Review of Taaffe's Aristophanes and Women, Ancient/Classical History GlossaryGreek MythologyAncient AtlasGods and Goddesses A-ZFamous Ancient People. ... [T]he comedy neatly inverts spaces and boundaries -- the women turn the city into an extended household and seize control of the actual polis -- not as "intruders" but as reconcilers and healers. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Lysistrata, the comedy by Aristophanes, ... Because of her progressive idea of a sex strike, it is not hard to see why Lysistrata could be regarded as an example of a “feminist movement,” though created in an age where feminism had not begun to exist. Ancient Greece was a deeply patriarchal society.... Our experts can answer your tough homework and study questions. Contains plot summary and suggestions to make the play more entertaining like reading Lampito as a hillbilly. His plays are used to demonstrate a purpose far beyond that of entertainment. If we are to look at Lysistrata as a pacifist work, then comedy is Aristophanes’ strongest tool in making war seem as fickle and laughable an issue as sex. The idea that a group of women could exert enormous influence over men and... Our experts can answer your tough homework and study questions. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Services, Comedy Genre: Definition & Characteristics, Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Written and performed while the Peloponnesian Wars raged on, Lysistrata is a sharp and sexy sociopolitical satire about gender dynamics, war and peace.

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When Lysistrata keeps out-witting the Magistrate, he cracks and urges his henchmen to attack. He uses his writing for voicing the problems that lie in Ancient culture. Lysistrata comes out of the Akropolis with her naked handmaid, Peace.

The idea that a group of women could exert enormous influence over men and... See full answer below. ( Log Out / Aristophanes differs from previous poets and playwrights we’ve read in that he approaches these serious subjects from a decidedly humorous perspective. Lysistrata describes her plan to end the war as a “big thing” she needs to discuss with the other women. The dialogue is peppered with italics and exclamation points at strategic locations, which color our reading of the text’s tone. ( Log Out /

In a literal sense, they contribute information to the plot; when read from a sexual angle, they serve to keep the audience laughing. How much power did the women in Lysistrata... What is the catch-22 in the book "Catch-22"? (http://didaskalia.open.ac.uk/issues/vol2no1/withers.html) Writing New Ancient TheaterBy Paul Withers, from Didaskalia. Become a Study.com member to unlock this

Did Dick Gregory write a song for the Beatles? However, analyzing this play, one must be able to separate the historical facts from the prose. “How do you come to have taken an interest in matters of war and peace?” the Magistrate asks Lysistrata when they first encounter each other (500). Change ), Why a Colonist Could Use the Gospel According to Luke to Justify Colonization, Application of Aristophanes take on love in Modern Society, Estrangement and Emotional Distance from a Parental Figure, Cause and Effect (and a little Harry Potter), Socrates’ and Plato’s Narrative Brilliance. Why do the soft technologies open more... What was the primary duty of women in Athenian... What was the role of women in Greek society? He [sc. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Romance Genre: Definition, History & Characteristics, Tragedy in Literature: Definition, Characteristics & Examples, Dramatic Farce: History, Examples and Playwrights, What is a Melodrama?

This is fantasy, of course, and was even more improbable at a time when women didn't have the vote and men had ample opportunities to whet their sexual appetites elsewhere. Phrases like these have multiple meanings, all of which are significant to the play’s plot. Femininity is represented by Aristophanes as the site of the ultimate comic figure: completely deceptive because 'she' is not real at all. - Definition, Characteristics, Books & Authors, Comic Elements in The Importance of Being Earnest, What is Science Fiction? answer! He despised the political, educational, and societal views that remained persistent throughout Athens. However, analyzing this play, one must be able to separate the historical facts from the prose. The whole initial exchange between the men and the women reads like classic immature schoolyard taunting, only furthered by the gossipy, conversational tone. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Create your account. Background & characters. Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal In addition to being the stage for the battle of the sexes, then, In compelling us to imagine Cinesias “[breathing more rapidly]” and “[with a suggestive gesture]” (175), the humor of Lysistrata takes on a visual component as well – for better or for worse. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise.

23 BBC News (n. 18). Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The male characters wore large, erect leather phalluses like the one whose absence (see opening quote) Lysistrata laments.

The idea that a group of women could exert enormous influence over men and... See full answer below. In this manner, Aristophanes’ double meanings are all significant to the reader’s understanding of the play. It explores issues relevant to the time period in which it was written. - Definition, Characteristics & Examples, Satire, Parody, or Spoof: Types of Humorous Writing, Mystery Genre: Definition, Characteristics & Elements, Novels: Definition, Characteristics & Examples, Greek Tragedy: Definition, Characteristics & Plays, Satire in Literature: Definition, Types & Examples, Introduction to Renaissance Literature: Characterizing Authors and Works, What is Historical Fiction? So, had Aristophanes' plot been the historical reality -- since the women actually do get their way -- all the Athenian soldiers might have lost their legal rights for being under their wives' power. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Some may argue that the views of the chauvinistic men improve over the course of the play which ultimately results in the war coming to an end, but in reality, ending the war has no correlation in regards to improving, Why The United States Can Make Any Toys With Greater Productive Efficiency Than Can China, Interview With A Human Service Professional.

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