A chapter-to-chapter study summary of Aristophanes' Greek comedy "Lysistrata", exploring the aspects of the 'Tragic Cycle'

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Aristophanes' Lysistrata

Prologue

Lysistrata is concerned about the present situation in Athens, where she believes the Peloponnesian war has been continuing for far too long. The audience learns through the first scene that their husbands who departed to fight the Spartans have left these Athenian women at home.

Lysistrata's solution to forcing the war to end is to go on a "sex strike", by refusing to give into their husbands' requests.

She hypothesizes that the Athenian men would finally have to agree to their order to cease fighting, and thus, bringing the end to the war.

Lysistrata intends to have the women, both Athenian and Spartan, swear an oath to undergo her 'strike' plan, swearing by Aphrodite that they would keep their word. They perform a small religious practice consuming strong wine, not mixed with water.

Parados

The Chorus of Old Men try to evict the women, who had taken over the Acropolis, from there, using pots of fire to 'smoke' them away.

They fail in their attempt as a result of the Athenian women putting out the fires with the jugs of water they brought, also covering the men in water too.

Scene - Athenian magistrate, Chorus and Lysistrata

The Magistrate's view on women is typically 'Athenian male' at the time: Athenian men at the time saw women as the inferior sex, who didn't have any civilian rights - there place was in the house, as the 'homemakers'. Therefore he speaks of women as weak creatures who depend upon their husbands to do everything- Including going to the shops.

He orders the policemen to tie up the women to not them running loose and start obeying his commands.

Debate

Lysistrata says the reason for the women to have seized the Acropolis was to capture the treasury, therefore taking...