SEX! This play is centered around it …..Okay, I got your attention - Now read the great Greek comedy Lysistrata by Aristophanes. It rivals any modern comedy, but has a serious message. I believe this play to be transferable to our modern age. It is commonly performed as an anti-war play worldwide. It deals with issues of justice, gender, money, power, and peace. It is both scandalous, and wildly entertaining. Have fun with this one! You won't believe that this play was written in 411 B.C.
- Online Study Guide for Lysistrata - Print this out before reading the play and use as a guide
- Did the strike really happen?
- Relevant article
- Please write a 400 word essay on the play Lysistrata. Use the following questions as a guide:
• Although treated comically, the play expresses serious themes: name two and discuss how the play treats them.
• Describe the characteristics Aristophanes attributes to women. What is his opinion of women, and what are their proper roles?
• What attitudes toward war are expressed in the play, by whom?
• What are the Magistrate and Lysistrata debating in the passage where she mentions spinning? How does this tie in to the plot movement?
• What serious messages, other than a general anti-war message, are expressed in the play, and by whom?
• Contrast the two choruses and their respective approaches to the current war.
• Do you think that is play is relevant to modern audiences?
Sample Solution