How Does Aristophanes Use Satire In Lysistrata

Lysistrata is an anti- war comedy that talks about one women’s attempt to end the Peloponnesian War. Lysistrata convinces the women of Greece to stop having sex with their husbands as a way of forcing them to negotiate a peace in the war. Aristophanes tries to use sexual humor to get and hold the audience interest. He also wants them to take notice and think about what was going on during the time of the Peloponnesian War. We see the use of satire throughout this essay in an attempt to bring awareness about the topic as well as the humor being used as sarcasm. Aristophanes does suggest that women are intelligent and should be listened to. Lysistrata explains the frustrations that women feel during war, when the wife’s opinions aren’t listened to and men make decisions

During this time in Greek we see men holding all the political power. “All we can do is sit, primped and painted, made up and dressed up” (Aristophanes, 25) shows that women had limitations on activities, movements, and education and their responsibilities centered on taking care of children, budgeting, and weaving clothes. “I’m positively ashamed to be a woman—a member of a sex which can’t even live up to male slanders! To hear our husbands, talk, we’re sly: deceitful always plotting, monsters of intrigue…” (Aristophanes, 23). This quote right here is an example of the frustrations the women have and the inequality going on between men and women We see frustration from Lysistrata because men slander the women as plotting monsters and how we also see her frustrations cause her to make true what the men are saying. “And so we agreed to meet today and plot an intrigue that really deserves the name of monstrous…”. This whole plan to promote abstinence shows the reader that sex was a big deal in Athens during this time. Men are always away from home doing political campaigns