Setting and Meaning

By Andrew Nicol, Student

Discusses the significance of setting to the construction of meaning; with particular reference to the suppression of women during that period in history.

An essay hosted at LiteratureClassics.com

The Golden Age of classical Greece was a time when citizens were members of a patriarchal society that had a developed system of philosophy, democracy and drama. The Poet and the Women by the Greek playwright Aristophanes expresses all these aspects of Greek culture. The play also explores the male domination over women – which could only have happened in a society with Greek laws, values and beliefs.

The Poet and the Women is set at the Thesmophoria – an annual Greek festival. The festival was open only to women, and it was the only time during which they could get away from their normally suppressive life and do as they liked. This year, they are plotting to kill the tragic Greek poet, Euripides (as the First Woman points out when she says: “In conclusion, ladies, I feel that somehow or other we have got to devise a nice sticky end for him: perhaps poison might be a suitable method”). Knowing that unless he takes action, his life will be cut short, Euripides sends a friend of his, Mnesilochus (dressed as woman, of course!) to stand up for him at the Thesmophoria.


The setting of the Thesmophoria is a prime example of how suppressed women really were at that time. There was only one time of year when the women were allowed freedom, and they expected to use every last minute of it. Since the Thesmophoria is situated on a hill outside of town, the women were essentially outside of male control and the normal rules, regulations and perfection of Classical Greek life. They had the opportunity to do whatever they wanted – and if they decided to kill Euripides, nothing would stop them. This is proven by the relaxed manner in which they speak of killing Euripides and the overwhelming support they are receiving.

The Golden Age of Classical Greece, the historical era in which the play was set, is important in understanding how the author developed the meanings of the story. The Greeks had started the first democratic society. As an accepted practice, the democracy was extended to all Greek men, but not women. The long tradition of war in which the men were always in the positions of power may have contributed to this. The Greeks were at war for thousands of years, and if the aim of the society was to gain wealth through other nations, the men would always be at the forefront. Furthermore, the Greek ideology that ‘the state is more important than the individual’ expected that every person should act in the best interests of the state. If the men were in the positions of influence, they would almost unanimously consider that the best interests of the state would be served by them being in power. Several examples of how suppressed the women were at this time in history are evident in The Poet and the Women. The way that the women have to resort to violence (for example, against Mnesilochus) instead of going through the normal legal channels is one such example. The poem by the leader towards the end of the play also expresses some of the problems faced by the women due to their suppression. She says:

“It’s time we women stood up for ourselves, and glorified the name,
Of a sex that nobody praises much, and everyone seems to blame…”
“…You won’t even allow us to leave the house, or even peep out of the door,
And if you ever find your wife is out, you bellow, you rage, and you roar…”

The Culture of the Greeks was unlike any other before it. They sought perfection, in architecture, theater, philosophy, mathematics and science. At the same time, man was considered to be the superior sex. Firstly, men were the ones that made the major cultural discoveries - this was probably due to the fact that men had the option of pursuing an academic career, while women did not have that choice. This instilled in the men a sense of superiority. Because they believed Euripides reinforced all these ideas, the women of Greece thought of him as an enemy that needed to be eliminated. The way that the women felt about Euripides is shown in the following quotation by the First Woman at the Thesmophoria:

“…I can no longer bear to sit by and see us women besmirched with mud from head to Foot by this cabbage woman’s son Euripides. The things he says about us! Is there any crime he hasn’t tried to smear us with? Give him a stage and a theater full of people, and does he ever fail to come out with the slanders?”

The breadth of the dislike of Euripides amongst the women is proven early in the play, when the leader confirms that Euripides is unanimously agreed to be guilty. It is important to note that the women themselves did not, with a few exceptions, attend Euripides’ plays. Generally, they were confined alone at home on the night of the play. This may have resulted in a degree of ignorance which lead to them thinking worse of Euripides than was true.

The Poet and the Women provides an insight into how the Greek culture operated – and showed how suppressed women were in classical Greece. The culture, history, laws, values and beliefs of the time all contributed to developing this meaning in The Poet and the Women, which is an outstanding example of the power of the written word to focus attention on the injustices in society.