Aristophanes Views :: Aristophanes Greek Theatre Plays Essays

Aristophanes ViewsThere give up been umteen arguments as to Aristophanes views and politics.Some disputation that it is al virtually impossible to determine any seriousview points Aristophanes whitethorn have creation trying to say through hisplays. While many others may argue, that points made in the Parabasisand through the various comic styles, argon the key to what Aristophanesthought and believed. With so little evidence of Aristophaneshimself, it is hard to turn up a case either way. While taking intoaccount the tender climate at the time and what the main aims of theplays were, I will be panoramaing 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 classical theatre the audience was made up solely of men. with the onlywomen being those on st age, and even then only allowed to play silentseparate such as slaves.Through kayoed the play, women are 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 move of society. They were the billet of men. Whether itbe their husbands or their fathers, they could not vote, could nothold a piazza of office, and could not own any property. However insome parts of Athenian society they were considered to be almost theequals of men, religion is a rash example of this. In religiousmatters women were at times essential, in burials and polite 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 legitimate male heir. She became theonly thing that could allow the husbands family name to be carriedon. It became a constant fear for the husb ands, that their wives wouldbe adulterous and produce a child, as the child would grow up and havea legitimate claim on the family possessions. Women became far moresaved 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 fuss for a rich husband than apoor husband, as they had more to lose. However due to a lack of beingable to relent help around the house, women of poor husbands had greater freedom, as they had to go out and fetch things needed for the