The play ‘Lysistrata’ by Aristophanes is one of the funniest comedies in Greek literature, as it unveils harsh turmoil experienced by Athenians as a result of war.
Being a sex striking play, Aristophanes exposes the absurd consequences of war, though in fanatical manner. In this play, Athenians are brought out as having temporary liberation from the throes of warfare situations, which they can not easily amend. Particularly, the comedy is quite emotional in the way Aristophanes presents humorous sexual tensions among women and women.
Reality is expressed in this comedy, since it tries to reveal out the long-term implications of war, which drives youths and potential men out of their families and lovers. As a result, indisputable sympathy towards the disbanded women is registered, through humor. This paper discuses the comic nature of the play by bringing out the achievements realized by Aristophanes by setting his serious purpose in a comic form.
As the play reveals, the problems of young women and unmarried girls are clearly brought in focus, when their husbands and the youths are constantly involved in war for years. As a result, these women are brought out as being desperately longing for sex, despite the community lacking potential men. Basically, Aristophanes has succeeded in bringing out the harmful consequences of war, though in comic form.
In this case, he makes the audience to understand and acknowledge the unruly nature of wars in the society at large. Particularly, the situation in this play exposes the deterrence nature of war for coherence in societal development and peace. It is clearly depicted that, with most women being left without husbands, posterity of the society is at risk, since the rate of population growth is almost negative.
The play continues to unfold its comic nature when women are left to take control of treasury, since no potential men to take charge as all men had gone to war. As revealed in the play, the old men left strive ceaselessly to drive such women out of control of such sensitive institutions.
Though these scenes unfold humorously, Aristophanes is trying to expose how male chauvinism in the society is bad. Since such old men had fought Spartan, the king of Persian, they now turn to fight their very own devastated women. It should be remembered that, women during that time had been denied of their conjugal rights, and were involving themselves in activities which would make them busy, in absence of their men.
Certainly, Aristophanes succeeds in bringing out how productive women are in various aspects, despite the oppressive the oppressive nature of men. More specifically, the author of this play exposes the ability of women to engage in productive activities in absence of men.
Importantly, this play revolves round politics and social issues in the days of the author, in spite of the lack of parabasis. As depicted in the play, cities are mutilated and extensively damaged, which turns out to women’s work in their protests against the warfare situation. For instance, the city of Herm is brought down into tatters by women, who emerge to advocate for peace through demonstrations.
Though this situation seems comic naturally, considering that women are merely wanting their men back from war, Aristophanes emerges as having strong social and political influences to solving various problems. More importantly, this play seeks to establish the apparent power of women in the society to fight for the welfare of the entire society. By demonstrating for peace to prevail, women emerges as being quite scheming in the way they use both political and social strategies to secure better future for the society.
It should be noted that, the play reveals hot battle between men and women who seem to have parallel desires and interests. With the society being dominated by males, women are brought out as being the key players in daily chores, as men remain in war.
However, men are brought out as being oppressive to women by utilizing them as just mere sex objects, but lack enough time to live with their families. In reaction, women deny the few men who come for them desperately for sexual desires, a means to persuade them to leave war and return back to live with their families.
Notably, Aristophanes has succeeded in bringing the reality on how women deserve love from their families, rather than only being used as sexual objects. With the whole play revolving round sexual relations, Aristophanes succeeds in bringing out the real-life implication of having cordial relationships between men and women in the society to form and manage families, as advocated by women.
Conclusion
Generally, the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes is one of the most influential plays for coherent relationship between men and women in the society. Though the scenes unfold comically, the real life implication advocates for cordial relationship between men and women, for a more prospective society. Despite the film revolving around sexual relations, Aristophanes has generally succeeded in bringing out the absurd nature of war, both to men and women.