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."
I like how you pointed out the ongoing battle between men and women and how it is present in the world today. Noting the fact that it begins as small children, it is easy to understand how innocent taunting turns into an all-out war as the stakes heighten with the responsibility age brings. It was also smart to note that the battle was not only between sexes but also a struggle between war and peace.
ReplyDeleteI liked the example of Adam and Eve in your post! Even in today's modern society there is still evidence of a battle of the sexes occurring in schools to job environments. There is a constant argument as to which sex is superior to the other and deserves a higher respect. However, in Lysistra, the battle of the sexes corresponds to peace and war amongst Greece.
ReplyDeleteI believe the reason the women were able o obtain an advantage here is even caused from the view that men think they are superior to women. Like you creatively referenced girls being so called "stupider," and having origins on "Jupiter," this is definitely an opinion men from this period would have. Therefore while they're at war, they aren't concerned by a female threat which snuck upon them. Such a creative post :))
ReplyDeleteI like how you alluded to things in the bible and added that these situations still occur today. Women do still struggle today to be treated equally. Way to go into detail about how it affects girls starting at a young age.
ReplyDelete