Aristophanes was a comedy poet in the fourth century BC, during the time of the Peloponnesian War. His usual style was to be sarcastic, and implying the eccentric. He shows little mercy when insulting Socrates and his modern ideas, which were most likely intended to nullify the present society and lead it to anarchy.
The most ironic aspect of this play is that the women act superior to the men. The women's chorus in the play represents the actions and overall attitude of the women. The chorus shows women acting bravely and even aggressively against men who seem fixed on devastating the city-state by lengthening a meaningless war and excessively expending reserves stored in the Acropolis. This in turn added to the destruction of their family life by staying away from home. The men felt that they could come home when they could, sexually relieve themselves, and then leave again.
The women's chorus represents the women challenging the masculine role model to maintain the traditional way of life of their communities. The women begin to take on the masculine characteristics and attitudes and defeat the men physically and mentally. The women's chorus represents Lysistrata's influence that women have the knowledge and discretion to make political decisions. Lysistrata points out: "I am a woman, and, yes, I have brains. And I'm not badly off for judgment. Nor has my education been bad, coming as it has from my listening often to the conversations of my father and the elders among the men.".
The chorus of men is old and dirty looking. They gave me the impression that they lost that spark over women. They may foreshadow defeat, but they are stronger and more intimidating than the man is. The men will think twice about laughing at women when they are in positions that require thinking, or to make decisions outside of the home. .
Role reversal was the true humor because to imagine a one-dimensional woman in a multifaceted role was just insane.
