Aristophanes attitude towards democracy, as seen in Lysistrata and archanians

Aristophanes attitude towards democracy, as seen in Lysistrata and archanians

Aristophanes was critical about the implementation of democracy in Athens.  He shows how the dialogue about peace is hindered by showing how amphitheus is expelled just by exposing the weaknesses of the leadership. This incident takes place on page 9 of the play, the archanians. The act shows how democracy was hindered since people cannot speak negatively about the government peacefully. Amphitheus is expelled for saying that he is immortal and a hungry person and yet the prytanes cannot feed him. He denounces the notion that Athens could get out of poverty just by the empire’s wealth. This essay will Aristophanes attitude towards democracy, as seen in Lysistrata and archanians.

Aristophanes shows that the system of governance does not allow for successful leadership to be operating officially. The reason is that the government was headed in the form of force and cooperation that is obscure.  Cleon is seen as the leader of the people in the play. He is referred to as a new pet and a slave of demos. The political corruption is also evident in Lysistrata, which is seen on the councillor’s decision to make war on Cecily. Aristophanes is continually complaining about graft, as seen in line 490 of Lysistrata.

In Lysistrata, the picture of democracy is portrayed in the play where women of mock assembly. Lysistrata depicts a role played by a leader that is unofficial and one who persuades other people to swear to boycott sex. The older women make war, and the younger women join in to storm Acropolis. Then the council comes in to sort the issue out. However, the Lysistrata works tires sly to consolidate her functions. Peace cannot be found, and the woman fails to be silenced. The herald advises the leader to look for ambassadors, who finally brought peace. The paly shows the weaknesses of the system of governance in the act of bringing peace.

The leaders seem to betray their fellow citizens just by being given a little token by their masters. Therefore, the citizens cannot get well represented by the leaders they have chosen due to the issue of graft that has overtaken the leader of Athens. The people that stay near the king seem to enjoy a lot of goodies and fail to recognize the main aim of serving their country. This incident is seen on page 12 of the play Archarnians, where pseudatarbas is asked to bring the message that he has delivered from the king. All these are acts that Aristophanes has used to show that democracy is hindered in Athens.

The massager says that the king will bring gold, which is a lie. The king is supposed to go into a vacation into the gold mountains for many months to have pleasure. This picture shows how the leaders serve only their interests and not of the people that they should be serving.  According to the play, the issue that needs attention is a peace that can only come through democracy to the people of Athens. Still, unfortunately, the leaders are serving other interests that will benefit themselves rather than solving critical matters.

The issue of money is another factor that shows the hindrances of democracy in Athens. Aristophanes’ shows that people are not able to get out of this trough. He says that there can be no democracy without giving people time off their work and a good salary too. Things were done depending on what the state wanted them to be but not the needs of unemployed people. In the play and the works of Aristophanes, he brands the legal system as one that is ruthless and self-serving. This act is evident where a boy locks up his father, who is addicted to jury services. I am like smoke coming out of the chimney (pg. 144). The Athenians are seen to be protecting politics as if it was a career. The Athenians show over participation in public life, which is seen as some form of evil.

The comedy of Lysistrata shows a pathetic ending, whereby Aristophanes comes to an imagination of whether the Athens can be able to acquire another better future with the kind of differences and the weaknesses that are found in the system of governance and the hindrances of democracy. The negotiations seem to be just like an absurd tale. The people tend to defend the old positions and do agree to make peace but on territories that are not specified and agreements that are compromised.

In summary, Aristophanes wrote the plays intending to show the leader how democracy is compromised in Athens and, at the same time, try to hasten peace by sensitizing the citizens of Athens and their leaders of the need to have an enduring friendship and have a changed nation. Lysistrata happens to be just like another fantasy, for there is no evidence that the play hastened peace in a particular way. Therefore democracy is like a story to the people of Athens according to Aristophanes’.

References

AH, Sommerstein. (2003) penguin UK

Henderson, J. (Ed.). (2011). Lysistrata. Hackett Publishing.