Many Angry Men

Lysistrata’s meeting with the Spartan and Boiotan women proves to be very effective as they finally come to a consensus to “withhold all rights of access or entrance” (p.32) from their men. This means that they swear off having sex with the males in the play as a sign of passive protest for the war. They then drink wine to complete the “oblation” (p.31) from Aischylos’ shield as standard tradition. Kleonike, Lampito and the rest are all eager to drink, but later have to secure the Akroplois near “the Gates” (p.35) from Athene’s Citadel. Little do they know that they’re in for a big surprise later on.

The opposite sex – the men – storm the gates in their “Koryphaios” (p.36), and they’re not very happy. In fact, they are livid or “pissed” which Aristophanes probably intended to project the demeanor of the play’s mood. As soon as they come in, an immediate shift is felt from the calm and caring to heated and agitated as the focus is changed from the guys to the girls. What is most notable, however, is the use of chorus and the “semichorous” that is employed by the formation of old Athenian men as they march along to “light a spark of justice under every woman” (p.37) as payback for being locked out. The men are determined to continue the war, but even more determined to show their wives who’s boss – by asserting justifiable dominance and machismo. The only problem is that they don’t know how to get into the Citadel that the women locked….. and they don’t care either.

 

This quote comes from the strong favorite for the 2016 RNC Presidential Nominee and also world renown business magnate/mogul Donald Trump. Trump's quote is surprisingly relevant, not as a political quote per se, but because it shows how much male ego matters to the male sex - something that women may never understand. Trump is a pariah for many, a cult of personality for others, but one thing is for certain: he's the 'Don' of simplicity. In his view, you're either a winner or a loser .... and it all comes down to choice.

blog post # 4

The hyper sexualization of women is prominent in all of history and even displayed in Lysistrata. Woman are often seen as materialistic objects rather than as people. For a majority of history, women were merely used as a means creating offspring, maids, or for sex. It would very rare occurrences in which they would fit outside this stereotype. The sexual objectification of women is clearly foreshadowed to due to the fact that in order to prove a point, they refused to have sex with their husbands. In this Greek tragedy, the Peloponnesian War is ravaging regions of Greece and the main protagonist wishes to put an end to it; eventually coming to the agreement with the other women to withhold sexual privileges. In a way, the husbands felt obligated to listen to what the band of women had to say in order to please their sexual desires. Since they can't the attention that they desire, they are left in a culture shock. And at the conclusion at the play, the men ultimately listen to the women and call for a truce amongst all of the regions. Thus suggesting that women are only needed for sexual practices and that if the objectification of women is withdrawn, men will do whatever it takes to it that way once again.

The political cartoon shown above visual creates the theme of men often objectifying and hyper sexualizing women. Instead of seeing the women as something more like a future president or doctor, they are just an object, which in the end are at the disposal of the man. Whether it's the the year 2016 or 411 BCE deeming women as objects is clearly displayed in all mass media. 

 

Solidarity

The unity amongst the Chorus of Women is one reinforced by the sturdy stalls of solidarity; a bond unbreakable. Upon face to face contact with the Chorus of Men, Lysistrata and her faction of femme fatales remain calm, cool, and collected, symbolizing the relaxed nature of the woman. Even in the face of violence, “By Artemis” (48) the women stand their ground in defence of one another. The commissioner and his archers are frightened by the militant prowess demonstrated by Lysistrata and her group of lady-killers, thus resulting in their quick withdrawal from conflict with the Chorus of Women.  

The importance in this particular scene lies within the Women and their willingness to defend one another without hesitation! Almost instinctively, each lady soldier rushes to her comrade's aid, thus leaving “Athens’ finest--finished.” (50) and essentially, demonstrating the great lengths to which Lysistrata and her women are willing travel in order to achieve their ultimate goal of peace.

This image represents solidarity amongst women all across the globe, which parallels the central concept within the story as Lysistrata attempts to unite women from different backgrounds in hopes to put an end to the war. Too often are women viewed as second rate/second class citizens, incapable of logical thought, and It’s imperative that we break this cycle of false thinking, for women “are not slaves. They are freeborn Women, and when scorned, they’re full of fury. Never underestimate the power of a woman.” (51)

Happy Ending

Frustration builds as women continue to tease men without giving them sex. “Life with women is hell. Life without women is hell too” (96). On one hand women satisfy men but on the other  women drive men to insanity. For example, Myrrhine gathers everything needed “to make love” (88) from the cot, to blanket, to perfume and then “runs off” (90). Kinesias begs Myrrhine to “come to bed… and please stop bringing things!” (89) stating that “the ground’s enough for us” (85). This points out that men do not need objects but rather company.

The men could not hold out any longer. Sex was no where to be found, not even from “little old gals on the moosey” (93). In Kinesias’ word “she left our home, and happiness went with her” (81). As a result men reluctantly “conclude a truce” (96). It was evident that sooner or later the men needed to vote for a truce, the women were not going to surrender.

In conclusion, the play ended with a "happy ending" (112). Both sexes are happier when united, “each man stands by his wife, each wife stands by her husband” (112). When the two sexes are undivided there is dancing and singing as the citizens were calling “all the gods to witness. Blissful Peace” (112). This was such a disaster that no one wanted to unfold again. Lysistrata stated “let's not make the same mistakes again” (112). The quote below summarizes the play. When the wife is happy everything else falls into place. 

Two Wars?

Aristophanes emphasizes the theme of war throughout the entire play- two wars in fact. The battle of the sexes, and the battle of the Greeks. His message is simple: war is bad. He is concerned of the war and its aftermath.  While the Athen and Spartan men fight it out on the battle field, the women are left to suffer. The Gender differentiated effects on war are largely ignored. While the women commence their strike, the men suffer. The men fight physically, yet the women fight against gender roles. There is a clear parallel between the two wars. Clearly, the war has brought extreme hardship to both sides. It teaches us that women had a significant role in the war, in contrast to the stereotypes. Lysistrata states that the "salvation of all Greeks lies in the women's hands". Women are as just strong as the men.  The stakes were incredibly high- Greek will be ultimately demolished if the war does not cease. 

Blog Post 4

Throughout Lysistrata, stage cues and directions have been major aids in determining whom someone is talking to, how they are acting, or what the tone of their message is.  Towards the end of the play, these stage directions played an immense part in the understanding of what was going on between the Koryphaios of women and the Koryphaios of men.  The two were arguing about what to do regarding this “war between the sexes” (page 94). After discussing for a bit, the Koryphaios of women offers to help the Koryphaios of men look decent once again.

While helping him dress in his tunic, she offers to “extract the beast in [him]” (Page 95). This beast is a made believe bug—an excuse for him to cry without being ridiculed for it—and this is clearly shown through the stage directions. When she first suggest doing so, the Koryphaios of men is lost and “searching himself” wandering what beast she is talking about. However, he finally understands what she’s hinting at, and as the stage directions clarify, “play[s] along dubiously” (page 95). However, the most helpful of the stage cues was when she “[removed] the imaginary insect” (page 95). This explication blatantly let readers in on the joke.

This stage cues better helped readers to pick up on the, otherwise, undetectable humor. They allow insight into when someone is giving a sarcastic rebuttal or glaring look. Without stage cues, this comedy wouldn’t be very funny; the stage cues are necessity to the understanding and comprehension of what is truly being said.

Lysistrata: a Tale of Perseverance (blog post 4)

 

VS.

Success is not an accolade easily achieved. To become triumphant, determination is a necessity. The most difficult part of Lysistrata’s plan is perseverance. The women's success is largely a result of Lysistrata’s perseverance herself. She knows her plan is risky due to the amount of sacrifice the women must make however, she consistently encourages the wives to avoid their husbands and suppress their inner desires. The women withhold a tainted reputation of perseverance. In their past efforts, “perseverance” eventually lead to either apathy or stubbornness. Women became too lazy to follow through or demanded that peace was not worth the expense. Nonetheless, Lysistrata continues her course of action even when she believes she has “lost [her] grip on the girls- they’re mad for men!” (70).  Many of the wives face this temptation, enough to even lie to Lysistrata about why they were in such a hurry to return home. They formulate creative excuses: wool in need of protection from moths, flax in need of shucking, and a fetus in need of birth (70-71). She relentlessly opposes these fallacies until she proves to the Magistrate and the other men who try to squash their efforts that the woman will prevail. To further ignite the willpower of the women, Lysistrata reads from the oracle, “But when the swallows… stoutly eschew their accustomed perch on a pole… then shall Thunderer Zeus… establish a stop, by making the lower the upper” (74). Myrrhine eventually transforms into the epitome of persistence when she “[sears] him with kisses, coyness, caresses, everything- but [stops] where [their] Oath begins,” (78).

Lysistrata post #3

   Lysistrata uses a miscellany of techniques to substantiate her strength to the men of Athens. All of which indicate her emerging as a Greek heroine. While men have their own assortment of strengths to make themselves heroes. However, Lysistrata has one strength the males do not have: sexuality. It isn't a stereotype of women. Instead, Lysistrata incorporates it as a strength and weapon against the men. Her strength is a trenchant one and only one a woman could bear.
   Lysistrata's plan is essentially to "paint, powder, and pluck [the women] to the last detail" (27) in order to concuss the men "absolutely mad to love [them]" (27). They will badger and torment the men with their sexuality: their ultimate weapon. Lysistrata and all the women will abstain from intercourse, but taunt the men with the very notion of it. They will coerce the men to sign an everlasting treaty to end the taunting and strife.
   Lysistrata is a very outspoken and meticulous person. The exact contradictory of what men consider a woman to represent herself as in ancient Greece. Her vigor and intellect puts her up and above expectations to become of a woman. Employing sexuality as a weapon in lieu of a trait is a considerably daring machination. Most other women would rather "walk through fire barefoot" (26) than conform to Lysistrata's plan. In spite of objections, it proves to be the superlative method of ending the enmity. Also, it is the least foreseen. While she may not posses the physical strength to compare to the men, she does posses sexuality which drives the men absolutely mad. Being able to have an incomparable and unanticipated weapon is one dominant trait distinguishing her among the echelon of many Greek heroes.
                                               

Lysistrata Post 3

It is obvious that a majority of the time throughout Lysistrata, Aristophanes puts most of his comical focus on the actions of the females. Through their plots, such as their major plans of holding out on sex towards their husbands and then they're taking over of one of the most crucial buildings to the society, Aristophanes mocks them with the general stereotype of females being out of power, being less intelligent, and acting on perhaps unnecessary circumstance. Being known for practicing comedy within his pieces as frequently as he did, of course this aspect of this story is where most of the comical standpoint is drawn from. Even considering that women did effectively achieve their task by the ending, making their husbands do whatever to end the sex withhold, their actions is still where Aristophanes places most of the ridicule.

However, at the same time I believe Aristophanes also places ridicule on his own sex as well. There is no more proof of this than how he portrayed Kinesias in multiple scenarios throughout the story, such as the scene with him and Myrrhine or simply being a poor father and a misogynist. In the scene with Myrrhine she fooled him by refusing to let him touch her while he is absolutely desperate for sex at that time. He is the epitome of the negative aspects of men and their negatively impacting decisions within the story. Therefore it is clear that Aristophanes is trying to place ridicule on both parties involved, being a comedy writer as it is since he applies such a large role of simplicity and naivety to a man.

A Fight for Equality or a Fight for Dominance

A leader thrives off their own team’s success and the fearfulness their opponents possess. Lysistrata a leader of her own female army thrived on her male opponents weaknesses. Displaying strength and agility to men, who now know to “never underestimate the power of women” (51). At the start of the play, the audience can easily see Lysistratas strong feministic values and strikes to bring women out of their husband’s shadows. Nevertheless, as the play progresses on ward she finds joy and fulfillment in watching the men fall to their feet for their cowardly desires “I’m overcome” (80).  As the men fall from their high stature and become weak Lysistrata can see that her fight for peace comes along with the fight for dominance she had ‘intended to give you hell” (102).

The main conflict that arises throughout the female’s journey is their lust for power and dominance. In a switch of characteristics amongst the sexes, the males and females discover their weaknesses and their strengths. The male army had discovered their weakness when it came to sex and the conflict they would face because of it “I’m destroyed, if this is drawn out much longer” (102).  The female army however had found that sex made them stronger and “without some wisdom” (102) they would not be classified as women or avengers of peace.

Both sexes faced conflicts with their newly developed characteristics. Lysistrata and her estrogen filled army hold onto their strength and their old roles welcoming the men “to the citadel and treat to all the delights of a home-cooked meal” (106). Remaining in their old roles but holding on dearly to the dominance and control, they had once had over the men.  

Lysistrata #3: Best One-Liner

In literature, when a man and a woman are in opposition, there seems to be one line that women can use that will completely shred the pride of a man no matter the situation. Usually, this line is a “low blow.” When a woman makes this statement, it completely changes the course of the story; it shifts who has power and who drives the remainder of the story.

In Lysistrata, the men swore they were almighty and in control— until the Koryphaios of Women threaten to “crop [their] lungs and reap [their] bowels, bite by bite, and leave no balls on the body” (43). Once their “packages” were disrespected, their masculinity in general was pretty much useless. How much pride could a man actually muster when his very manhood was put into question?  “No creature’s found so lost to shame as Woman” (43). No man ever wants to be disrespected by the very creature who is opposite of him.

Similarly, in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, a woman named Janie is unhappily married to Jody Starks, the mayor of her town. He would constantly berate her in front of his friends and the townsfolk, but Janie would always bite her tongue. Until one day, Jody tells her that her “rump hangin’ nearly to [her] knees” (93) and that she is an “ole woman” (93).  Janie promptly responds by telling Jody: “You… put out a lot of brag, but ’tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice. Humph! Talkin’ ’bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life” (94). Janie’s statement ultimately killed her husband. He realized none of his wealth or possessions could ever make up lack of respect from the townsfolk because of Janie’s statement.  Her statement killed Jody’s masculinity and killed him similar to how Lysistrata's women killed the men's pride and then their war.

Here is a video showing the scene from the film version of Their Eyes Were Watching God. The first two minutes depicts the incident between Janie and Jody.

History Argument

In order for the war to end, Lysistrata had to give a convincing argument to the men of Greece. By bringing up history between the two opposing forces in Greece, Lysistrata is able to prove to both Athenians and Spartans that they need each other. Aristophanes brought prior history into his play to give the audience something to relate to.

On page 103, Lysistrata begins by speaking directly to the Spartans. She says " Recall Perikleidas: fifty years ago, he clung to our altar, his face dead-white above his crimson robe, and pleaded for an army." By going back in history, Lysistrata is able to point out specific instances where the Spartans begged for assistance from the Athenians. She proves to the men that both sides of the country need each other. And in case the Spartans did not believe it, she then speaks to the Athenians. She asks the Athenians to recall when the Spartans helped them to "cut down the pride of Thessaly" (pg 104) and dispossess the oppressors who were ruling over them. Lysistrata uses history to prove the cliche that actions speak louder than words. These two groups of men want to continue the fight, but their actions in the past prove otherwise. Lysistrata helps to create what will hopefully be a long-lasting peace.

The image below is a cartoon of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Greece. The men fighting are so similar it's hard to tell which side they are fighting for. This shows that the war between the two city-states was meaningless and needed to end. Lysistrata was finally able to get this point across to the men.

                                             

Women: The Pillar of the Family

Just before the men agree to a truce with the women, the Koryphaios of Men relates the following proverb: “Life with women is hell. Life without women is hell, too” (96). This is a perfect summation of Lysistrata’s plot, and directly states the theme of the play. Although this statement is not entirely true, from a man’s point of view, it somewhat is — and, sadly, it is still imbedded into the majority of our male population’s mentality.

Of course, this is a ridiculous, hyperbolic accusation the Koryphaios of Men makes — obviously, women’s role in ancient Greece is to care for the household, children, and husband, and they do quite well. This is shown with Myrrhine and Kinesias when Kinesias insists Myrrhine must take care of their child. How can life with Myrrhine possibly be chaos — she does a superb job taking care of the baby, while Kinesias can hardly keep the baby alive. Life with women cannot really be hell because they are the ones who keep day to day life running smoothly.

It is only when women begin asking for equality that arguments are made for women being the trouble-making sex. It is much more convenient for women to be dependent and pliable, for then there is no conflict. The “hell” the Koryphaios of Men refers to when women are present is only evident when their manliness is attacked and proven to be weaker than it appears.

But, the latter line of the Koryphaios of Men’s bogus proverb certainly is true. Life without women is hell. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar put it quite simply: “The role of women in the development of society is of utmost importance. In fact, it is the only thing that determines whether a society is strong and harmonious, or otherwise. Women are the backbone of society.” The men of the play unfortunately have to learn this in a very easy, but hilariously painful, way.

Early political cartoon in which women are shown having the power --
the exact situation in Lysistrata.

Lysistrata post #3

                   Throughout the play we see Lysistrata as a woman who stands up for what she wants and isn't afraid to speak her mind, and even to the end she remains this way. It says a lot about her when the Kinesias say "Let's send for Lysistrata. Only she can reconcile our differences." (page 100) This part at the end of the play shows how people relied on Lysistrata and valued her and her personality. Lysistrata finally get what she deserves and has been wanting the entire play. She knows how to play her cards right and knew exactly how to use them to get what she and the other women wanted. When she is talking to the Spartans she uses strong language and a powerful tone to get her point across. For example she says "Well, now that I've got you, I intend to give you hell, and I'm perfectly right." (pg. 102) Lysistrata wants them to know that it isn't a game to her and that she's not going to back down. By addressing both parties, Lysistrata is able to  find a medium between the two parties. 

Lysistrata could be seen as a role model for girls and women of today. A lot of mothers would like their daughters and themselves to be seen as strong, independent, and smart individuals. They want them to have the mindset that they can do anything and accomplish all their goals with hard work. They want them to see that things are not as bad as in the past where women cannot do the same thing as males. They also want to break gender stereotypes and roles. Lysistrata was a great play to read because it shows females that they can accomplish what they want if they have enough courage to.

          Below is a link to the commercial from the brand Always that was used in our women's history month assembly. I chose this commercial because it really defines how some people see females in the world and it's a shame. i think that if more people actually see this commercial their views may differ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

Peace or peace?

Humans are not inanimate objects. Because, well, we are humans. We eat, breathe, sleep, have a beating heart, speak, etc, etc.  When Peace is brought in front of the Spartans and Athenians, the men “goggle” (101) at her body and is thus dehumanized. Lysistrata understands that the men are yearning to touch a woman in such an intimate way that she uses what they desire most to her advantage. Kinesias is so distracted by Peace’s assets that he cannot pay attention to the peace agreements being made, stating he is “destroyed if this is drawn out much longer” (102), clearly inclining that he is becoming aroused. The Spartan is a bit more focused, pointing to Peace’s butt, indicating Sparta will “take [the] butte… the Promontory of Pylos - Sparta’s Back Door” (104). Peace’s body is used for want and as a map for the two groups of men to reconcile their differences. Talk about objectifying women. Aristophanes implements Peace not only to symbolize how the men reach the concept of peace but as a double entendre. A double entendre is a word, phrase, or concept that has two different meanings, or interpretations. When first introduced to Peace, we believe she is simply a maid. A minuscule character added for no reason…. But, there is always a reason. Aristophanes foreshadowed how tranquility between the cities of Greece would be gained by naming the character that would bring nonviolence, Peace. Peace is not merely a name, it is a plan. A plan that will not bring restfulness to the men when seen at first. Thus creating a foolproof way, for Lysistrata and the women to reach their ultimate goal of Peace.

This political cartoon found on Pinterest, exemplifies through exaggeration how women are objectified in today’s society, being non-verbally told how they should present themselves.

Blog Post #4

The end of the play is very powerful and promotes feminism. It shows the true power, intelligence, and influence that women have in society. Lysistrata commands respect throughout the play from both females and males. Lysistrata is asked by the males to help make a truce between the two sides, and when she does that, she gains great support and respect from the males of both camps. Also in the battles between the choruses, the women seem to always beat out the men. The Chorus of Women defeats the men in wit and in strength. In the play, the women are more intelligent because they are able to come up with a nonviolent solution to the dispute between Sparta and Athens.

Lysistrata also is the perfect example of a female leader. Lysistrata contstantly gives direction from behind the scenes of the action to the women of Athens, but she does not just instruct the women on how to act, but cwatches over them and continuously gives advice and helps them through situations. For example, when Kinesias comes to the Akropolis to see Myrrhine. Before he gets there, Lysistrata talks to Myrrhine and tells her how she should act towards Kinesias. But she doesn’t leave Myrrhine to fulfil this task by herself, but watches her to make sure she doesn’t forget the big picture as to why the women are doing this, and makes sure that she doesn’t give in. Throughout the play, Lysistrata is almost omniscient by the way she oversees the actions of the other actors in the play.

Blog Post #3

A logical and intelligent person who reads this play can appreciate the plan that Lysistrata comes up. She decides that the women should go on a sex strike to end the war in Greece and reunite the country. The thought of this plan can be appreciated because it is a nonviolent way to end a war which has obviously brought upon violence in Greece. If it were to work, Lysistrata could be compared to the likes of the American civil rights activist, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and Indian nationalist leader, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi. Similarly to these two great activist, Lysistrata figures out a nonviolent solution to the current war in Greece and for that a reader can respect and appreciate that.

Unfortunately, when further analyzed, her plan has some flaws in it. In the play, the women complain that they haven’t seen their husbands due to the war. This means they are no longer at home. Therefore a sex strike wouldn’t have any effect on these men. Even if the men were home, just as Myrrhine had wanted to do before the Milesians revolted and made it impossible to buy a masturbation tool from the open market, the men could find other solutions like masturbation or prostitutes. Looking at the plan isolated from the issue of the war, a sex strike would still be a very successful way to deal with a problem dealing with men, as long as they are actually at home.

Blog 4: Is Lysistrata really about feminism?

A prominent theme in Lysistrata is the promotion of feminism. However, there are some points in the play in which women continue to act submissive. Lysistrata asks, “Wouldn’t you like to have them home?” (22), in reference to the husbands on service. This implies men must be present and  women cannot succeed without their husbands. Throughout the entirety of the play, the only value the women have is their physical appearance. They objectify themselves because they want the war to end. They do not advocate for equality. They do not explain their intellectual abilities. The issue they solve is merely political. The power the women possess is short lived. The women continue to demote themselves to objects when they use Peace’s allure. Kinesias comments “Never saw one I wanted so much to top” (103). Peace symbolizes the end of the war. She also symbolizes the way the men view the women.  At the conclusion of the play, Lysistrata says, “each man stand by his wife, each wife by her husband” (112). The men quickly end the war so they can sleep with the women again. Now that the sex strike is over, the women no longer possess any power over the men. The women are content with their purpose. They do not become upset when their bodies are their only attributes the men give attention. Presumably, they are back in the same situation as the start of the play except the war is over. Is there really a feminist movement? It is somewhat ironic.

Blog Post 4: 3/28/16

Joseph Ucci

Blog Post 4: 3/28/2016

            At the conclusion of the play, Lysistrata truly redefines the role of women. Many women of the time would keep their own ideas to themselves and never go forward with action to execute what they wanted. Lysistrata not only wishes for the war to come to peace, but ends up making it happen through scandalous, tricky, and rebellious movements. Lysistrata uses Peace to her advantage by making her the final talisman that convinces the men to end the war. Peace is unclothed and very beautiful, holding the men’s attention to Lysistrata and her handmaid. Lysistrata acts as the mediator among the Spartans and Athenians because she is the main reason they are calling truce. Upon drawing a mutual agreement among the Spartans and Athenians, Lysistrata pleads her role in the community and her role as a woman. Lysistrata acting as the “judge” of the “court-case” among both Greek communities shows that Lysistrata now holds the power. Spartan even says “Hain’t never seed no higher type of woman.” (103) Lysistrata, after hearing pleads of both sides and helping to correct what upsets both, states “Conclude the treaty and the simple life is yours” (105). Once both sides agree to a treaty, Lysistrata claims that the sex-strike will now be terminated—“every man of you will take his wife and depart for home” (106). Both the women and men conclude the play with what they wanted: the women have their husbands’ peace and the men have their wives’ bodies.

            The following quote by Albert Einstein supports Lysistrata’s actions. She brings the different problems among both communities to attention in order to give them an understanding of why they are fighting one another. After seeing that many of the “reasons” they had were invalid and very minor, they realized peace would be the best outcome.

Greek Girls are Low-Key Freaks

As the story of Lysistrata progresses, the audience gets a better perception of the unique elements of the play. One of the defining qualities about the play is based on the women who eventually converge together at the discretion of Lysistrata. More specifically – their “unwomanly” behavior, or lack of conventional manners.

With no men around, the women really start to show their true colors. Lysistrata herself leads in the raunchy dialogues by sexualizing women like Lampito for her “blemishless complexion” (p. 21) as a tease to show her friendly kinship with her. Kleonike – the perfect ‘bad best friend’ of Lysistrata – joins her in the way any bad influence of a dear friend would and comments on Lampito’s “unbelievably beautiful bosoms!” (p. 21). Lampito, who seems to be the dumb-but-loveable companion, is genuinely flattered and happy to join along the naughty fun.

What is more apparent, however, is the depth of the subject matter that the women discuss. Aside from the playful hints and compliments, the ladies partake in … rather sketchy discussion on their views about sex. At least for the supposed level that they are expected to think – none. Lysistrata as the leader of the girl’s group social finally suggests “total abstinence from SEX!” (p. 25), and no sooner do all the women leave her in disagreement. Not only is this a hilarious move by the playwright Aristophanes for showing women care about sex just as much as men, it shows how they’d literally do anything besides “give up sex” since there’s “nothing like it” (p. 26) as Kleonike puts it to back up Myrrhine. Sexual overtones and lewdity are seen as taboo qualities for proper feminine women to take, but Lysistrata and the rest of the women joyfully embrace these traits.

blog post #3

The ancient Greeks were one of many societies to create the Adiche like single story of women. But unlike in Lysistrata, it is able differentiate itself from this stereotype. Thus creating an embodiment of women's empowerment to become something more than a statistic. Most Greek tragedies are dominated by male heroes like that of Oedipus. But with Lysistrata it is the women who are the heroes. In this Greek Tragedy, the Pelopoessian War is currently happening all over Greece. To support the war efforts wives' husbands, sons, and brothers are sent to fight. Angered by the war, Lysistrata asks the women of different areas to come together and refuse to have sex with their husbands until they have declared peace. She questions them as to if they “Are you not sad your children's fathers go endlessly off soldiering afar In this plodding war?"(p33; line 132-136).Lysistrata also plans to take control of Akropolis with the help of the older women of Athens. Once all of the women agree, they take an oath and sacrifice a body of wine in the oath's honor.

The political cartoon shown is an illustration that corresponds to the empowerment of women. This modernized Rosie the riveter is shown in an army uniform as opposed to polka dotted bandana. For decades women weren't allowed to partake in combat in the American Armed Forced. Instead of holding the typical jobs away from the front lines, they now have the opportunity to fight in combat. Similarly, the women of Lysistrata are also standing on the front lines. They are on the front lines in the political field, voicing their opinions were it was unlike to be heard before; much like women fighting in combat. Despite occurring centuries between each other, Lysistrata and the idealism behind the political cartoon both use the same message to convey women's rights.

Lysistrata post #2

       The play "Lysistrata" is very different from most Greek plays since most of the heros in the plays are males. In fact, all the actors were males even the characters in the play that were women were played by male actors. It is very clear that Lysistrata is the protagonist in this play since she is fighting for something she believes in and also getting her friends to help her out as well. She seeks to encourage and coach these women into getting something that they all want. She is the overseer of what goes on and will do anything to keep her plan rolling in the right direction. Just to be sure that no one slips up or doesn't fufill their duties, Lysistrata makes the women and herself say an oath and drink wine from a black sacred glass as a ritual.
         A thing that makes Lysistrata so smooth and slick is her versatility. She is liked with both women and men. She knows that she cannot take sides or show her true colors if she wants to get what she and the women deserve. Lysistrata is very smart for this because playing both sides will allow her to fufill her wishes. Lysistrata also takes on a problem that happened in American history. Women were not allowed to vote or have much of an opinion in Lysistrata's hometown and Lysistrata felt she could change that. Women in American history could not vote until 1920 and that was after they protested and fought for their rights. American women back then believed they were worth more than being just a housewife or a homebody. Women were tired of being unappreciated and mistreated. They wanted to go out into the work forces and feel like they were actually accomplishing something with their lives. I also think that is another reason Lysistrata and her followers wanted to change and end a war. You could tell they were under appreciated by this quote by Lysistrata " Go to bed with a God and then get rid of the baby, that sums us up!" (Page 26)
         I can't wait to read more and actually find out how Lysistrata's plan plays out.

Battle of the Sexes

The on-going war between men and women continues to run its course. Since the ‘rib’- i.e. Adam and Eve- a competitive dynamic has emerged itself within the interaction of both sexes. From childhood, this competitive dynamic becomes most evident, as young boys taunt young girls by labeling them as ‘stupider’ and designating the origin of their creation on Jupiter.

Relating to the concept of ‘Boys v. Girls,’ the opposing choruses have intercepted one another at the armory. Both delegates, or Koryphaios, attempt to receive and share information on their respective objectives, but to no avail. The Koryphaios of women almost immediately expresses her suspicion with catching the “true-blue patriots red-handed” (42). Predictably, the men respond with a similar sense of disappointment upon spotting the “flood of reserves” (42), and simultaneously, the threats kick in. The leaders of both groups attempt to persuade the other to disengage and demobilize their weapons. However, a stalemate is reached but after no more than a few minutes, the women gain the upper hand in this battle as they retaliate to menial threats posed by the chorus of men, “bite by bite” (43).

This event, in particular, represents the general motif of the play and based upon the issue of stopping a big war, the women establish a smaller, less violent war against the men of their country. The ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exists within the women’s protest in favor of peace, and they are willing to accomplish this goal by any means necessary. After all, "all is fair in love and war."

Blog Post 3

In Lysistrata, it is prevelent that the greek culture holds certain customs and doings to a high standard. The culture demonstrates gender values (such as women taking care of the family), what to do in times of war, and how to "seal a deal." One of the most stressed importances within Lysistrata is during the oath all the women take, after their agreement to pledge abstinence. After the intial promise of resisting from sex, Lysistrata proposes that the women "slaughter a sheep and swear on a shield" (pg. 29). The women all are dumbfounded at this proposition because, according to Kleonike, "you do not swear an Oath for Peace on a shield" (pg. 30): that would be extremely ironic. The women continue to decide on what should they take an oath, finally deciding on a cup of wine. This level of attention to detail the women show when figuring out what to pledge an oath on, reemphasizes the importance of traditions within the Greek culture.
http://www.greeka.com/greece-culture/traditions/
The article above discusses how important different traditions and superstitions are in Greek culture. Things such as catching the evil eye from jealousy and having bad luck on Tuesday the 13th are just a few to name. Prior to reading more onto traditions the Greek hold to high value (which i thought were silly), i didn't understand why Lysistrata and the other women were so worried about what to swear on--rather than the actual task at hand.  The Greek culture is clearly evoked in Lysistrata at this instance as well as many others throughout the play. I wasnt able to fully understand the traditions of Greek's (because the United States westernized culture isn't as structures) but from further reading of the play as well as other articles, it became clear.

Lysistrata Post #2

   The typical Greek play portrays the main hero as a man with superior wit to most other people. The male hero is able to think his way out of dangerous situations or solve riddles similar to Oedipus and the sphinx. The comedy Lysistrata portrays the intelligent hero as a female. While women of the era were considered to be only intelligent enough to "budget the household accounts," (53) Lysistrata proves herself to have far greater intellect than what is believed of women to contain. Lysistrata's knowledge is able to place her up in equality among male heroes of Greek plays.
   One example of  Lysistrata's knowledge is with her extensive plotting, Lysistrata is able to organize all the women of Greece into "full-armed combat infantrywomen" (50) with the ability to "[take] over the Akropolis, including Athene's temple" (28). She further proves her intellect by being able to defend the Akropolis with an iron grip. Lysistrata is smart enough to plan for any method of retaliation the men might throw at her. For example, when the male soldiers march up to burn down the Akropolis gates to break in, Lysistrata orders already readied women to "empty their pitchers [of water] over the men" (45).
   While not having to worry about mustering up knowledge to solve a complicated riddle, Lysistrata is able to utilize her knowledge in order to be a strategist. By being a strategist, which is typically a male;s role in a war, Lysistrata is able to prove herself as a heroine who is worthy of being held up high respectfully next to the male heroes of Greek plays.
                                      

Lysistrata #2: Chorus Impact

The use of a large chorus was often a popular choice for Greek playwright’s. These breaks in the dialog in which singing and chanting took place gave the audience the chance to reevaluation the situation at hand and also possibly view it from another perspective. Choruses were often emotion filled and depicted a lot of what was going through all the minds of the main characters. After the women have chosen to unite, the men get to vent their opinions to the audience in the first chorus. The attitude from the group of older men right off of the bat is less than welcoming when the comment, “What a catastrophe- MATRIARCHY!” (36). It seems that for their women of the town to think for themselves is to offend every male who has ever preceded them. This was a society that was led by men, otherwise known as a patriarchy, and therefore women in power were unheard of. That being said, the men do not take kindly to the sudden shift in power. Their first response to the sudden Matriarchy is, “We’ll burn them [the women] all,” (37). In efforts to get back on top, it is decided these men will force the women to comply with fire if need be to, “teach these women not to trouble us.” (37). All of theses comments were made outright to the audience through the chorus in order to quickly get the emotions across. The chorus in a drawn out illustration of the men deciding that they must unite against the already united women. Their mentality is much like that of Benjamin Franklin when he publishes his famous cartoon “Join, or Die”. In the image linked below, Franklin is expressing to the public that the American Colonies are to unite as one or perish by their own as they are all pieces of a larger whole. To be complete they must all stick together. The men in Lysistrata view their situation similarly as they believe that is they do not stand together, their patriarchy will die and the women will take over.

http://www.britannica.com/biography/Benjamin-Franklin/images-videos/Join-or-Die-the-first-known-American-cartoon-published-by/4139