Thesmophoriazusae
Thesmophoriazusae is another play by Aristophanes, and this one focuses on taking shots at the tragic poet Euripides. In this play, a group of women decide that they have been unfairly represented by Euripides as being seducers, schemers, betrayers, or just helpless victims. The women decide to rise up and take various actions in order to punish Euripides for his representations of women.
Euripides asks Mnesilochus to go undercover as a woman and put in a good word for him. Through a series of funny and painful methods, including fire, they remove the hair from Mnesilochus’ body and dress him as a woman. Mnesilochus, properly disguised, attends a festival held by the women who are against Euripides. The women open with a prayer that ask punishment for anyone that angers them. Euripides is mentioned as deserving of particular harm.
After the prayer, Mnesilochus tries to put in a good word for Euripides but does so quite poorly and to comedic effect. He mentions that Euripides has not mentioned all of the ways that women are known to deceive men. Another man, Cleisthenes, arrives in drag and tells the women of Euripides the plan to infiltrate the festival. Both men struggle to maintain their charade, but eventually, Mnesilochus gets a large erection after being in the company of so many pretty women. They go to attack him, but he grabs a wine flask and threatens to cut it open and spill the wine. The women back away, unwilling to see the wine go to waste, but they keep him prisoner.
Euripides tries to save Mnesilochus through a series of short sketches that parody scenes from his tragic plays. Eventually, Euripides gives up and decides to talk to the women. He tells them that he will no longer give away the methods with which they deceive men if they promise to release Mnesilochus. The women agree and the play ends.