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.
Lysistrata is definitely a leader. She breaks gender barriers in numerous ways. She creates an army of woman, devises a plan that leaves men weak in the knees, and what is most impressive is that her plan succeeds. This play definitely provides female empowerment and that females can be great leaders to. It can be alluded to the 2016 Presidential Election, by proving to misogynists that if elected Hilary Clinton can in fact be a good leader and president (she will just have to leave the sexual innuendos to Lysistrata).
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