Aristophanes' Lysistrata: Old Comedy

Aristophanes' Lysistrata is a comedic account of a single woman's plan to end the Peloponnesian War by denying all the men any sex, which was apparently the only thing that mattered to them. In the play, Lysistrata manages to persuade all the women to withold sex from their husbands and lovers so that they can force the men to negotiate peace.

Aristophanes' Lysistrata falls into the middle period of Aristophanes' career when he started to diverge from the typical and traditional conventions of Old Comedy. This article covers 3 variations from the convention of Old Comedy:

1. The Divided Chorus

The Chorus significantly begins this play as divided in the form of men vs old women. Later in the play, they unite which symbolises an important theme of the play - reconciliation. The nearest equivalent to Lysistrata's divided Chorus can be found in one of the earliest surviving plays, The Archarnians, where the Chorus briefly divides into two parts - for and against the protagonist.

2. Parabasis

In Greek comedy, a parabasis is a speech where the chorus comes forward and addresses the audience, which is an important element in Old Comedy. However in Aristophanes' Lysistrata there is no proper parabasis. There is something that resembles a parabasis but it cannot be classed as one, but it does use two songs.

3. Agon

Aristophanes' plays contain disputes or agons that are used and structured for rhetorical effect. Aristophanes' Lysistrata contains an unusual agon where Lysistrata debates with the proboulos - the magistrate. In this unusual agon, Lysistrates does pretty much all the talking while the antagonist (the magistrate) asks questions or expresses frustration. This unusual agon purposefully draws attention to the absurdity of a female classical character deliberately engaging in public debate.