Different portrayals of women in Antigone and Lysistrata

The different portrayals of female characters Antigone and Lysistrata illustrate the fundamental nature of the proper Athenian woman. Sophocles Antigone allows the reader to see that outrage over social injustices does not give women the excuse to rebel against authority, while Aristophanes Lysistrata reveals that challenging authority in the polis becomes acceptable only when its faced with destruction through war. Sophocles and Aristophanes use different means to illustrate the same idea; the ideal Athenian womans ultimate loyalty lies with her polis. This Greek concept of the proper woman seems so vital when considering Athenian society because both a tragedy and comedy revolve around this concept. The differing roles accorded to†¦show more content†¦Lysistrata comes to the conclusion that the only way to save Athens from destruction in war comes with defiance of her husband. In her role of rebel within the family, Lysistrata decides to ...compel [her] husband to make pea ce by withholding sex from him until he stops his disastrous warring behavior (Lysistrata, 7). She concludes, ...there are a thousand ways of tormenting [him] that will lead to the ultimate safety of Athens (Lysistrata, 9). Unlike Antigone, Lysistrata realistically considers the possible consequences of her actions. She understands that the consequences of rebellion against her husband could be dire. Lysistrata recognizes that her husband might beat her or even rape her in order to get physical satisfaction, but she also realizes that her husband would, ...soon tire of the game theres no satisfaction for a man, unless a woman shares it (Lysistrata, 9). Lysistrata acknowledges that defying her husband will have consequences, but she chooses to realistically face those possible consequences, and continues knowing that her actions will benefit Athens. Aristophanes reveals that a womans greatest allegiance lies with her polis through Lysistratas role of rebel within her family to save A thens. Lysistrata takes the position of leader in her relationships with other women; she encourages her followers to fight for the betterment of their polis; thus, sheShow MoreRelatedComparison Of Euripides Antigone And Lysistrata1362 Words   |  6 Pagesduring the 5th century in ancient Athens. Antigone and Lysistrata both are two important, popular plays that contain a main character that was female. Although they can both be seen as very similar, they do differ in many ways. The most important difference between Antigone and Lysistrata is that Antigone has a community that does not approve of the main character’s plans and although they feel sympathy for her, they take the opposing side, while Lysistrata has a society of people that come togetherRead MoreEssay on The Lives of Athenian Women1880 Words   |  8 PagesWomen in classical Athens could not have had an extremely enjoyable experience, if we rely on literary sources concerning the roles of women within the Greek polis . The so-called Athenian democracy only benefited a fraction of the entire population. At least half of this population was female, yet women seem to have had very little influence and few official civic rights. `The position of women...is a subject which has provoked much controversy. (Lacey: 1968, 151). Studies concerning the