Thesmophoriazusae

Thesmophoriazusae
Kore, daughter of Demeter, celebrated with her mother by the Thesmophoriazusae (women of the festival). Acropolis Museum, Athens. The Dramatis Personae in ancient comedy depends on interpretation of textual evidence. This list is based on David Barrett's translation
Written by	Aristophanes
Chorus	1) Agathon's chorus 2) Women of Athens
Characters	Euripides the poet Agathon another poet Cleisthenes a notorious homosexual A servant of Agathon A prytanis (magistrate) A Scythian bowman (policeman) Micca ('1st woman') Myrtle vendor ('2nd woman') Critylla ('3rd woman') Herald /leader of Woman's Chorus Silent roles: Manya Micca's nursemaid Philista another maid to Micca A dancing girl
Setting	1) Street outside Agathon's house 2) Forecourt of the Temple of Demeter Thesmophoros

Thesmophoriazusae (Greek: Θεσμοφοριάζουσαι Thesmophoriazousai; meaning Women Celebrating the Festival of the Thesmophoria, sometimes also called The Poet and the Women) is one of eleven surviving plays by Aristophanes. It was first produced in 411 BCE, probably at the City Dionysia. The play's focuses include the subversive role of women in a male-dominated society; the vanity of contemporary poets, such as the tragic playwrights Euripides and Agathon; and the shameless, enterprising vulgarity of an ordinary Athenian, as represented in this play by the protagonist, Mnesilochus. The work is also notable for Aristophanes' free adaptation of key structural elements of Old Comedy and for the absence of the anti-populist and anti-war comments that pepper his earlier work. It was produced in the same year as Lysistrata, another play with sexual themes.

How The Poet and the Women fared in the City Dionysia drama competition is unknown, but the play has been considered one of Aristophanes' most brilliant parodies of Athenian society.

This bold statement by Euripides is the absurd premise upon which the whole play depends. The women are incensed by his plays' portrayal of the female sex as mad, murderous, and sexually depraved, and they are using the festival of the Thesmophoria (an annual fertility celebration dedicated to Demeter) as an opportunity to debate a suitable choice of revenge.

Fearful of their powers, Euripides seeks out a fellow tragedian, Agathon, in the hope of persuading him to spy for him and to be his advocate at the festival – a role that would require him of course to go disguised as a woman. Agathon is already dressed as a woman, in preparation for a play, but he believes that the women of Athens are jealous of him and he refuses to attend the festival for fear of being discovered. Euripides' aged in-law (never named within the play but recorded in the 'dramatis personae' as Mnesilochus) then offers to go in Agathon's place. Euripides shaves him, dresses him in women's clothes borrowed from Agathon and finally sends him off to the Thesmophorion, the venue of the women's secret rites.