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Desire and Sexuality as main themes in Aristophanes Lysistra

 

            The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines desire as the verb "to desire" which in the Scriptures usually means "to long for," "to ask for," "to demand," while the Merriam-Webster English Dictionary defines desire as "to long or hope for : exhibit or feel desire for- . Desire, translated into human behavior and action, is described by the great philosopher Plato (427-347 BC) as mans lowest attribute. The appetitive soul (emotion or desire) is the portion of each of us that wants and feels many things.
             In Aristophanes' (450 BC - 388 BC) Lysistrata , the theme of desire is given a new meaning, namely: the desire for sex. In this paper I intend to show how desires new meaning is exaggerated by the playwright to produce a comedy. .
             According to Aristotle (384-322 BCE) "comedy is an imitation of inferior people - not, however, with respect to every kind of defect: the laughable is a species of what is disgraceful."" In Lysistrata the "inferior- people are the women. Aristophanes takes women, who at the time were considered to be a lower class of society, and gives them a leader (Lysistrata) who will end a war by withholding sex. The idea of women ending the war is a disgraceful concept related to the time (as was mentioned above) this play took place, hence alluding to the comedic structure suggested by Aristotle. This whole scheme produces a comedic plot by which the theme of desire structures a meaning that outlines the play.
             Plato, in the Republic, speaks of desires as a sin because when one desires or craves a certain pleasure, especially sex, he or she become enslaved .
             to his or her desires and thus corrupt their own soul. The reason being that desire knows no fulfillment, meaning that once you achieve/conquer your desire another one will await and that cycle will continue forever.
             At the beginning of the play it seems as though Aristophanes portrays Lysistrata's motive as a commendable one, i.


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