Lysistrata is a comic by Aristophanes. An account of one bold woman's mission to end the Peloponnesian war. Lysistrata single- handedly persuaded the women of Greece to withhold sexual privileges from their husbands and lovers as a means of forcing them to negotiate peace. This strategy unfortunately inflamed the battle between both sexes. I see a male dominated society that see their women as sex tools, and a suppressed group of women trying to use sex as weapons against their men
I found the plot of this play very difficult to read and follow. The text are often unclear, and the use of language or what I see as a dialet by the women even makes for a complicated read.The message of this play is almost lost in the text . Its all about using the power at your disposal to achieve a purpose.[the power of sex] These women frustrated at the ongoing violence of the civil war decided that the only way to make peace is to stop making love .
This is not limited to the ancient period, unfortunately in reversal our modern day politicians and those with influence use their power in exchange for sex from their subordinates in a society that is infiltrated by corruption, the good thing is Lysistrata and her group used their influence to stop war.
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The idea that it this plan would work is far fetched, but I'm sure we are asked to believe it is possible for the purposes of the play.
ReplyDeleteLooking back at what you said it does seem that the only "weapon" the women have (well the best weapon was witholding sex ... So we agree on that :)
Although I think Lipido was a spartan warrior... which is strange.
I agree that the plot was a difficult read and I was lost several times. The strongest text I comprehended was the refraining of sex from all husbands and lovers to promote peace and stop the war. The idea of withholding sex to stop war I think was far fetched. I am sure even in this period men could find means and willing females to satisfy their needs after being away from their wives for months at a time. I like your comment that it is all about using power at your disposal to achieve a purpose. Lysistrata did try to achieve a good purpose. I would have liked to seen her in a more active role she was the mastermind of the operation or the one behind the scenes.
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ReplyDeleteWhen reading Greek plays it is almost always required that one do extensive script analysis in order to dig deeper and get a better understanding of the text, but it is still difficult sometimes getting through to the end and understanding everything.
ReplyDeleteUsing their sexual power, women were able to achieve their goals. Even though this is a bit far fetched, it is very funny if you are able to catch the bits of humor throughout the play.