Comedy of the ancient Greek comedian Aristophanes "Lysistratus": summary, analysis, reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Summary of "Lysistrata" will introduce you to one of the most famous comedies of the ancient Greek author Aristophanes. It was written around 411 BC. It tells about a woman who managed to stop the war between Athens and Sparta in a very original way.

Author

Summary of "Lysistrata" will help you quickly refresh your memory of the main episodes of this work. For its author, it has become one of the most successful creations in his career. It is known that he wrote 44 plays in total, only 11 works have survived to this day. Among the most popular creations of Aristophanes are also called "Birds" and "Frogs".

The author of the play "Lysistrata" was born in Athens around 446 BC. It is believed that he staged the first comedy under a pseudonym in 427 BC.

It is interesting that the works of the comedian have been criticized by the authorities more than once. For example, whenhe in "Babylonians" ridiculed the demagogue Cleon, calling him a tanner, who accused him of making the politics of Athens ridiculous. A case was even opened against Aristophanes for the misappropriation of Athenian citizenship.

In response, the comedian once again attacked Cleon in the play "Horsemen", presenting him as a Paphlagonian. The image was drawn so repulsively that Aristophanes himself had to play this role.

Ancient Greek author died around 386 BC.

What is the comedy about?

A summary of "Lysistrata" will help you remember what this comedy is about. The main character goes on strike, gathering deputies from all over Greece near the Acropolis of Athens for conspiracy. They come to the meeting slowly, as they are constantly distracted by household chores and worries about the household. They discuss that everyone already misses their husbands, they wish the war would end. Lysistrata suggests that they deny the men sex until they reach a truce. They take a solemn oath over a wineskin.

After that, the women's choir occupies the acropolis. A choir of old men attacks them, as all the other men disappear in the war. Old men threaten them with torches, and women with buckets of water. A squabble begins, which flows into a fight, the old people are poured with water, soaked, they are forced to retreat. The choirs continue bickering after that.

Dispute

When the oldest old man appears on the stage, thethe main part of any ancient Greek drama is the dispute. Retelling the summary of "Lysistrata" it is impossible not to mention it.

Counselor tries to reason with women, assuring them that they are minding their own business. Those, in response, argue that war is also a women's affair, since they constantly lose their husbands, are forced to give birth to children, who are then killed on the battlefield. When the adviser is amazed that women wanted to run the state, they retort, reminding him that they have been managing economic affairs for a long time, and they are doing well.

After that, the choirs go back to bickering, which ends in a brawl. Women again emerge as winners.

However, complete victory is still far away. Women themselves begin to miss their husbands. Lysistrata has to keep an eye on them so that they do not scatter from the acropolis, although they constantly come up with the most incredible and ridiculous pretexts.

Finally, one of the abandoned husbands appeared under the walls, who began to persuade his wife to return to him. All persuasion leads to nothing. The woman teases him, and then hides, and the unfortunate man can only writhe with passion and sing about his torment. The choir of old people who appeared begins to sympathize with him in every possible way.

Decoupling

Realizing that their situation is hopeless, the men decide to reconcile. Athenian and Spartan ambassadors meet. At the same time, the author clarifies that their phalluses were already of such a size that they immediately understood each other without words.

In negotiationsexpresses a desire to take part in Lysistrata, who reminds them of the union and old friendship, praises them for their valor and courage, but at the same time accuses them of absurd quarrelsomeness. At the same time, a good mood reigns around, as everyone wants to make peace as soon as possible.

Negotiators don't even bargain, giving away everything that was captured by one in exchange for what was captured by others. At the same time, everyone looks with admiration at Lysistrata, marveling at her intelligence, harmony and beauty. At this time, in the background, the women's choir begins to flirt with the choir of old people. In response, they lament that it is absolutely impossible to live with women, but you can’t do without them either.

After the official conclusion of the worlds, both choirs sing that the evil will now be forgotten. In the finale, the Spartan and Athenian husbands sort out their wives, they dance off the stage.

Analysis

It is necessary to know that the comedy about Lysistratus was created in conditions when the position of Athens was complicated due to the Peloponnesian War. Sparta, which led it, increased its power, acquiring more and more new allies, one of them was Persia.

Of great importance in the analysis of Aristophanes' "Lysistrata" is the fact that the initiators of peace are the women of all Greece, who have already suffered from the hardships of wartime, they can no longer endure loss and separation.

Thus, the author turns to what can unite all warring men, regardless of which side they are on. It's the need for sexand love. She is threatened when women unite, renouncing men's love until they end the war.

Comedy has an important humanist and pacifist meaning. It is interesting that such precedents happened in reality. In 2003, a similar action by women in Liberia stopped the civil war.

Reviews

Reviews of "Lysistrata" emphasize that it is also a feminist work that is still relevant, despite the fact that almost two and a half millennia are left behind. After all, it is the relevance that does not disappear that determines the significance of a literary work.

Critics and readers note that the author was able to clearly demonstrate how men do their best to dominate women in all matters, just to satisfy their basic instinct, they are ready to make big concessions.