“I choose my dress to suit my poesy. A poet, sir, must needs adapt his ways To the high thoughts which animate his soul. And when he sings of women, he assumes A woman’s garb, and dons a woman’s habits.”
~ ‘The Thesmophoriazusae’ by Aristophanes (Benjamin B. Rogers translation. GB5 - p. 602)
The play starts with Euripides and his relative Mnesilochus walking towards Agathon, a young poet’s home. Euripides has found out that the women of Athens plan to plot against him in their women-only Thesmophoria festival as a response to his portraying them negatively in his plays. He wants someone to go into the festival disguised as a woman to know the details of the plot. They are going to Agathon’s home since he has a feminine appearance, and he could help gather information. They reach the house and see Agathon dressed up as a woman writing a song for women. When he hears about Euripides’s request, he refuses, saying he will not bear another person’s burden and that Euripides was foolish to denigrate women.
Seeing Euripides’ despair, Mnesilochus reluctantly agrees to help. With Agathon’s help, Euripides transforms him into a woman. In this disguise, Mnesilochus enters Thesmophorium (temple of the home-givers) and sits with other women who are discussing how to punish Euripides since he has insulted them by portraying them as false, faithless gossipers and misery to men. Their husbands have become suspicious of them, and some even lose their business since people no longer believe in gods due to Euripides’ plays. They resolve that he should be killed. Mnesilochus puts forward his (her) view that women actually engage in affairs, baby-swapping, drinking, etc., and Euripides’ plays show only a few of the mischiefs that women do. The other women get upset at this accusation of their character.