Aristophanes? "Assemblywomen?

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the first scene of Aristophanes' "Assemblywomen" launches immediately into the major theme of the differences, relationships and tensions between the roles of men and women in ancient Greek society. The author points out that, while attempting to seize control over the polis and govern the land themselves, the assemblywomen, especially the female protagonist Praxagora, actually, and perhaps necessarily, assume the physical and mental traits of men, imitating masculine appearances, mannerisms and identities. The paper relates that Aristophanes' use of this gender adoption could be interpreted as (1) an illustration that Athenian women would never actually be able to control the city and its government or (2) a statement that women, who resort to extreme measures to embody the qualities of men, may indeed be able to become powerful.

From the Paper:

"What is not so clear is whether Praxagora purposely and strategically adopts this persona as a means of eventually attaining the women's goal of a communal, equal, fair-minded city government, or whether she truly becomes the controlling revolutionary she portrays as a result of her dedication to this objective. The answer to this question helps to determine Aristophanes' viewpoint on the prologue and the entire play. If we decide that Praxagora deliberately and tactically assumes a masculine fa?ade, even in front of her own followers, as a route to female political domination, then Aristophanes seems to acknowledge that women who radically strive to adopt male characteristics might very well achieve a rise to power."

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