Satire in Lysistrata Satire is a literary mode built on wit and humor with a critical attitude aimed at human institutions and humanity. A successful satirical work will show some truths about society and then try to improve them. Satire is intended to be constructive rather than destructive. Aristophanes uses satire in Lysistrata to convey many different themes such as war and peace, power and class struggles, and the issues of life and death seen in war. Satire is used and seen successfully in Lysistrata by stereotyping women in general and then also different classes of women. Double entendres are seen throughout the show to help add humor to the show. Sex is used as a humorous device, but only to convey a deeper theme of war and peace, but also life and death. Aristophanes stereotypes women at the beginning as quarrelsome, self-centered, and unintelligent people. They are sex-driven and selfish. Lysistrata is upset that the women are late for the very important meeting: "Here I have called a meeting to discuss a very important matter, and they are all still fast asleep" (180). Calonice summarizes what women are thought to do all day and also what they represent for their families; "Women! What good could they have done? Sit at home and put flowers in their hair, and put on cosmetics and saffron dresses and Cimberic sheer shirts, with slippers on their feet?" (181). It is precisely these very frivolous ideas that are used to bring peace to the two cities. Over the course of the work Aristophanes begins to break down… halfway through the paper… to convey deeper themes of life and death, the struggles between power and class structure, and even the social differences between men and women. Aristophanes uses humor to engage the audience in his work, and then undermines the superficial humor with much larger thematic issues. If this play had simply been about women rejecting sex for other reasons such as wanting more money for shopping or other frivolous ideas, it would not be considered a satirical comedy. Satire requires more than physical humor. You have to raise an issue like the theme of life and death seen in Lysistrata's war, and then you have to find a solution. Aristophanes initially created women as quarrelsome, unintelligent, and self-centered people. But in the end it was their idea and their compromise that ended the war.