Role of Rulers in Aristophanes' Lysistrata and Shaw's Saint Joan Leaders, by definition, play a crucial role in a society. They choose the direction in which society will evolve, how it will evolve (whether imperial, economic, or militaristic in nature), and allocate the nation's resources to these goals. These leaders gain power in different ways. Some are elected, others are appointed and some seem to obtain this position by strange twists of fate. In literature, these individuals, their goals, and how they achieved their positions make a statement about the society they represent. In Bernard Shaw's "St. Joan" and Aristophanes' "Lysistrata," the rulers, although very similar in their positions and goals, have extremely different personalities. The reason for this difference lies in the goals each author has for these leaders and the points the author wishes to convey. The first and most technical difference is how each ruler is introduced into the story. In fact, about the society they represent. In Bernard Shaw’s “Saint Joan” and “Lysistrata,” the ruling official is the magistrate. It appears shortly after that the women take control of the Acropolis, completely unexpectedly. He immediately begins to comment on the situation, the first man in the room to respond intellectually to the women. A few moments before, the old men were trying to burn the Acropolis to drive out the women. The Magistrate arrives and begins to assess the situation. On the other hand, in “Sainte Jeanne”, the Dauphin (Charles) is presented with much more description and anticipation (he is even announced by a page). It is described in great detail, giving the reader the impression that the future king ...... middle of paper ...... th fight. Rather than agreeing with her or compromising, Charles simply saw her as a stupid girl who needed to go home. While the magistrate's actions in the conflict prove that women can accomplish great feats, Charles's actions show that firm leaders are only sought after when they are useful. Beyond that, they're just a simple annoyance. The fundamental difference between these two characters (Charles and the magistrate) is their depth. The magistrate serves to provide a serious intellectual and masculine point of view in this comic play; that's all. Charles serves many purposes; a contrast to Jeanne, an example of Jeanne's power of persuasion and primarily a satire of politics. Each author developed the character as much as necessary in order to get their message across, which can vary from virtually none, or filled with details, to the shape of a character's nose..