Women In Lysistrata
Lysistrata is a comedy written by Aristophanes revolves around a central main character, Lysistrata, an ordinary, everyday woman leading a group of women to protest against a highly anticipated Peloponnesian war by refusing sexual contact with their partners. Although it was highly implausible, especially considering the period of time in which the play was based on, the group of women were successful in ending the war. The play suggests that Lysistrata wanted the war to end so that the husbands could stay at home with their wives. Throughout the course of the play, the idea of listening to propositions made by women would be considered rather absurd, and ignoring them completely was far too common, and it was not until the end of the play
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Hang on the door.
Kalonike. What if they slap us?
Lysistrata. If they do, you’d better give in. But be sulky about it. Do I have to teach you how? You know there’s no fun for men when they have to force you. There are millions of ways of getting them to see reason. Don’t you worry: a man doesn’t like it unless the girl cooperates. (Pg. 12)
This quote suggests that Lysistrata understands that women are incompetent in taking a stand against unruly issues and that they have no voice in society. Furthermore, this plays into the idea that women are just seen as property. The women in the play are brainwashed to believe that not only is it ethical for men to be abusive towards their partners, but that they have a right to do so. If the leader herself is unable to see that women are just as capable of performing tasks as men are, the path paved for her followers is interchangeable. In the prolonged scene in which Myrrhine leads Kinesias into believing that they are going to have sex after a long day, Myrrhine runs away from Kinesias and denies him of his sexual urges. He is joined by the chorus of old men. They begin cursing at the female gender because they are unwilling to have sex while the men are stationed at war. While praising their sexual features, vulgar language is used to describe their sexual fantasies and
Hang on the door.
Kalonike. What if they slap us?
Lysistrata. If they do, you’d better give in. But be sulky about it. Do I have to teach you how? You know there’s no fun for men when they have to force you. There are millions of ways of getting them to see reason. Don’t you worry: a man doesn’t like it unless the girl cooperates. (Pg. 12)
This quote suggests that Lysistrata understands that women are incompetent in taking a stand against unruly issues and that they have no voice in society. Furthermore, this plays into the idea that women are just seen as property. The women in the play are brainwashed to believe that not only is it ethical for men to be abusive towards their partners, but that they have a right to do so. If the leader herself is unable to see that women are just as capable of performing tasks as men are, the path paved for her followers is interchangeable. In the prolonged scene in which Myrrhine leads Kinesias into believing that they are going to have sex after a long day, Myrrhine runs away from Kinesias and denies him of his sexual urges. He is joined by the chorus of old men. They begin cursing at the female gender because they are unwilling to have sex while the men are stationed at war. While praising their sexual features, vulgar language is used to describe their sexual fantasies and