Lysistrata by Aristophanes | Plot Summary

Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe explains the plot summary of Aristophanes's play Lysistrata.


In Aristophanes’s classic play Lysistrata, the heroine of the title leads the women of the warring Athens and Sparta in a sex strike, hoping to persuade their husbands to sue for peace.

Though the effect is comic, with the stymied men of Greece ultimately caving to the demands of their wives, the action reflects a more sober reality. The Peloponnesian War was a savage, three decade conflict between two factions of Greek city-states vying for dominance of the region.

Written in the latter half of the conflict, the play's comic relief would have been especially welcome in the playwright's home of Athens, which ultimately lost the conflict.

Greek comedic and satirical writer Aristophanes created Lysistrata, which was first performed in 411 BCE, only 7 years after the Peloponnesian War ended. It is considered by some to be his best play. Aristophanes’s works often criticized the statesmen who drove Athens into the war with Sparta. His witty plays still resonate with audiences today.

The play contains many powerful themes such as determination, femininity vs. masculinity, and civil disobedience. Other symbols include the Acropolis, staffs, and bowls & wine.


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[Endaethia]

thank you guys for the free guide ! that will help me study for the exam really appreciate ur efforts

[Noodlelandia]

My script analysis professor is having us read and analyze this play and I am absolutely ready to read and enjoy it

[craftyowl]

Wonderful video summary! All the comments for these kinds of videos talk about exam prep… am I the only one who is reading these stories for fun haha

[ia]

way too enthusiastic about all this :)

[roberttbrockway]

You failed to mention that it's a comedy. The sex strike is there to set up a bunch of phallus jokes.

[HansenKay-qh]

Clark Jessica Davis William White Jason

[AnasAnas-jywn]

İs Lysistrata stereotype ir realistic character