Aristophanes Views :: Aristophanes Greek Theatre Plays Essays

Aristophanes ViewsThere have been many arguments as to Aristophanes shots and politics.Some arguing that it is almost impossible to correct any seriousview points Aristophanes may have being trying to say through hisplays. While many others may argue, that points do in the Parabasisand through the various comic styles, atomic number 18 the key to what Aristophanesthought and believed. With so little evidence of Aristophaneshimself, it is hard to prove a case either way. While taking intoaccount the social mood at the time and what the main aims of theplays were, I will be looking into Thesmophoriazusae and whetherAristophanes was attempting to make any serious points through variousstyles of humour.In order to determine whether Aristophanes was putting forward aserious point, it helps to look at the back ground and context inwhich his plays were written.In Greek theatre the audience was made up solely of men. with the onlywomen being those on stage, and even then only altogether owed to play silentparts such as slaves.Throughout the play, women ar a common theme, at the time in whichThesmophoriazusae was written (411bc), attitudes towards them weremuch the same as in many societies. Women were inferior to men, inalmost all parts of society. They were the property of men. Whether itbe their husbands or their fathers, they could not vote, could nothold a position of office, and could not own any property. How perpetually in most parts of Athenian society they were considered to be almost theequals of men, religion is a prime example of this. In religiousmatters women were at times essential, in burials and civic sacrificerituals.In contrast to this, Pericles citizenship law (451bc) raised theirstatus to that of most prized possessions. The law stated that only anAthenian wife could produce a lucid male heir. She became theonly thing that could allow the husbands family name to be carriedon. It became a constant fear for the husbands, that their wives would be adulterous and produce a child, as the child would grow up and havea legitimate claim on the family possessions. Women became far moreprotected by their husbands, than they ever had been previously. Awife with both an Athenian mother and Athenian father, became highlyprized. This of course was more of a problem for a rich husband than apoor husband, as they had more to lose. However due to a lack of beingable to afford help around the house, women of poor husbands had greater freedom, as they had to go out and fetch things needed for the