preview

Compare Antigone And Lysistrata

Decent Essays
Open Document
Throughout history, women have almost always been seen as the inferior sex. This culture prevails in Ancient Athens where both the plays Antigone and Lysistrata were created; however, these plays present situations where women turn against their male counterparts to stand up for their beliefs. On the surface these may both seem like feminist plays, but the most important difference between the two is the way women are depicted to the audience. Antigone stood against a king and sacrificed herself for her brother and the gods. She is a respected hero by her people. Lysistrata uses the female body as a tool to successfully end the war, but the play ends up being more of a mockery of women, as if their only worth was their bodies. This difference is important in understanding the feelings men had towards women during that time period. The varying types of dramatic plays is important because it represents how each of the plays was meant to be portrayed to its audience. Antigone, was a tragedy written by a man named Sophocles. It takes place far away and long ago from their present Athens. Sophocles makes Antigone out to be a powerful heroine who fought and sacrificed herself for the beliefs of all of her people. She is meant to be mourned and respected by the audience, hence why it is a tragedy. In contrast, Lysistrata was a comedy written by Aristophanes and the story took place during their present time in the second half of the fifth century BCE. Lysistrata was not
Get Access
Related
Get Access