Lysistrata by Aristophanes and Women Term Paper

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"Lysistrata" is funny, but it makes a point. Women have brains, too, and want to be included in important decisions by the government. Pushing women aside, as the men of Athens and Rome did, can only lead to trouble in the end, as these two works clearly indicate.

If Aristophanes is biased, it seems he favors the women's demands for peace. He makes the Commissioner look ridiculous by having the women turn him into a woman, and he makes the women much more quick-witted and funny. It seems he designed the play to highlight women and their powers, while Livy showed real history with a decidedly male-oriented bias. He presents both arguments in his essay, but he uses words that indicate he thinks the women should stay where they are and stop running around outside their homes, making demands and causing trouble. In addition, Livy does not give any of the women a voice, they still stay in the background while the men debate, and because of this, the women's demands are all fought for by men. Thus, Livy is more biased against women that Aristophanes and it shows in his essay quite clearly.

Comparing the women of Athens and Rome indicates that the women of Athens enjoyed a better position in society than Roman women did. It is clear they were opinionated and wanted a role in government. They also were tired of being treated as second-class citizens, just as Roman women were. However, they had more power, because they speak out and say some outrageous things to the men, such as calling one a "miserable misfit" and accusing them of "fumbling the City away in the Senate" (Aristophanes 175). They already have more power than the Roman women, who do not get a voice in the essay at all.

The women of Athens also seem more organized than those of Rome. They meet in secret to form a plan, and their plan is well organized and simple.

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In addition, the women of Athens are not demanding any personal changes, instead, they demand "safety and Peace in Greece" (Aristophanes 175), which is a much loftier goal than being allowed to wear purple and ride in a carriage. The women of Rome were more selfish in their demands, even if they were right to want them, while the women of Athens wanted things that would make a lasting difference in everyone's lives - even the men. Finally, the Roman women do not speak for themselves; they allow men to debate the issue, which illustrates how little power they have in society. They may have power at home, of sorts, but in society they are worthless, and cannot even speak for their own demands.

Comparing the two works is not difficult. "Lysistrata" is meant to entertain, and so it is much more engaging than "Women Demonstrating." It is lighter and humorous, while Livy's work is heavy and historical, which is what it is relating. The two authors choose the same theme, but handle it totally differently. One uses humor to show the superiority of women, while the other uses history to show why women should be controlled and oppressed. Reading these two works indicates just how subjugated women were in ancient history, and how far they have come in modern society.

In conclusion, both of the works illustrate the power women have, if they understand how to use it effectively. The women of Rome wanted their rights back, while the women of Athens wanted their men back, and peace in the land. Both groups used their power to get what they wanted, but the Athenian women were more creative in how they used it. Both works show the power women hold over their men, and how they can influence laws and regulations when they choose to utilize that power......

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