ARISTOPHANES

ABOUT LYSISTRATAAND POPULAR CHARACTERS

 

Aristophanes first produced Lysistrata at the Lenaea. It was a lesser festival but it was still a festival to honor Dionysia. The “war” between the sexes that pits against women in the play mirrors the war that pits Athenians. A struggle over money and finances further increases the tensions between the men and the women. In addition to denying access to sex, they also take over the Acropolis and the access to money that fuels the war effort. Lysistrata was the center force in this. The women couldn’t have sex with their men until things changed.Lysistrata is a play that was written is 411 BC The setting takes place in Athens town center. The war that takes place in the place is the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Lysistrata gathers the women of Sparta and Athens together to force the men to end the war. She is the last feminine of the women in the play and her ability to use the masculinity of the men to control the outcome of the ear helps her gain respect. The chorus plays an important role in the play.The chorus has both men and women. This is significant, because a chorus has never had women in it before. Lysistrata calls the meeting of the Grecian women to end the war. The women take over the treasury in Acropolis, and at the end of the war the all dance. The comedy begins with the premise of a “happy idea” – that is, the premise is that men need sex more than they need war. A sex strike will allow the women to coax their men away from the way and back to their beds. Rites of spring: The emphasis on sex and celebration of the phallus in the play can be seen as a rite of spring with emphasis on rebirth, renewal, and regeneration. In Greek mythology, Apollo and Dionysus are both sons of Zeus. Apollo is the god of the sun, lightness, music and poetry while Dionysus is the god of wine, ecstasy, and intoxication. Male vs female was a big theme during this play.