Athenian Society in the Classical Period Based on the Plays by Aristophanes

Little is known of Aristophanes (446-386 B.C.), except that he was one of the most popular playwrights of the Ancient Greece in 500B.C. He wrote a new style of comedies, and out of forty he has been said to have produced, eleven of them have stood the test of time. . These comedies expose Aristophanes' perspective of the way of life in Athens through social, literal, and philosophical means and portray the way of Athenian life, including the impact of war, the role of the state and polis, the role of gods in human affairs, the role of women, and the nature of barbarism.
During Aristophanes' lifetime Athens underwent a period of convulsive cultural and social change, and he found a ready target in the politicians, poets, and philosophers of his day. It would nevertheless be misleading to describe Aristophanes as a reactionary or a conservative, since his works show no sympathy for the aristocratic party in Athenian politics. …