Download LYSISTRATA: And so will Thebes.

Lysistrata
Introduction
“Lysistrata” is a bawdy anti-war comedy by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, first staged in
411 BC. It is the comic account of one woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian War,
as Lysistrata convinces the women of Greece to withhold sexual privileges from their husbands as a
means of forcing the men to negotiate a peace. Some consider it his greatest work, and it is probably
the most anthologised.
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Summary
Lysistrata, a strong Athenian woman with a great sense of individual responsibility, reveals her plan to
take matters into her own hands and end the interminable Peloponnesian War between Athens and
Sparta. She has convened a meeting of women from various city states in Greece and, with support
from the Spartan Lampito, she explains to the other women her plan: that they are to withhold sexual
privileges from their menfolk as a means of forcing them to bring an end to the war.
The women are dubious and reluctant at first, but the deal is sealed with a long and solemn oath
around a wine bowl, and the women agree to abjure all sexual pleasures, including various
specifically mentioned sexual positions. At the same time, another part of Lysistrata's plan (a
precautionary measure) comes to fruition as the old women of Athens seize control of the nearby
Acropolis, which holds the state treasury, without which the men cannot long continue to fund their
war. The word of revolt is spread and the other women retreat behind the barred gates of the
Acropolis to await the men's response.
A Chorus of bumbling old men arrives, intent on burning down the gate of the Acropolis if the women
do not open up. However, before the men can make their preparations, a second Chorus of old
women arrives bearing pitchers of water. An argument ensues and threats are exchanged, but the old
women successfully defend their younger comrades and the old men receive a good soaking in the
process.
A magistrate reflects on the hysterical nature of women and their devotion to wine, promiscuous sex
and exotic cults, but above all he blames the men for the poor supervision of their womenfolk. He
needs silver from the treasury for the war effort, and he and his constables try to break into the
Acropolis, but are quickly overwhelmed by groups of unruly women with long, strange names.
Lysistrata restores some order after the fracas, and allows the magistrate to question her about her
scheme and the war. She explains to him the frustrations that women feel at a time of war, when the
men make stupid decisions that affect everyone and their wive's opinions are not listened to. She
expresses pity for the young, childless women, left to grow old at home during the best years of their
lives, while the men are away on endless military campaigns, and she constructs an elaborate
analogy in which she shows that Athens should be structured as a woman would spin wool. To
illustrate her points, Lysistrata and the women dress the magistrate up, first as a woman and then as
a corpse. Eventually, he storms off to report the incident to his colleagues, and Lysistrata returns to
the Acropolis.
The debate is continued between the Chorus of old men and the Chorus of old women, until
Lysistrata returns with the news that some of the women are already becoming desperate for sex, and
they are beginning to desert the cause on the silliest of pretexts (such as to air bedding and do other
chores) and one is even caught trying to escape to a brothel. She succeeds in rallying her comrades,
however, and restoring their discipline, and she returns yet again to the Acropolis to await for the
men's surrender. Meanwhile, Cinesias, the young husband of Myrrhine, appears, desperate for sex.
As Lysistrata oversees the discussion, Myrrhine reminds him of the terms, and further taunts her
husband by preparing an inviting bed, oils, etc, before disappointing the young man by locking herself
in the Acropolis again.
The Chorus of old women make overtures to the old men, and soon the two Choruses merge, singing
and dancing in unison. The peace talks commence and Lysistrata introduces the Spartan and
Athenian delegates to a gorgeous naked young woman called Reconciliation or Peace, whom the
delegates cannot take their eyes off. Lysistrata scolds both sides for past errors of judgement and,
after some squabbles over the peace terms (and with the naked figure of Reconciliation before them
and the burden of sexual deprivation still heavy upon them), they quickly overcome their differences
and retire to the Acropolis for celebrations, songs and dancing.
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Questions:
What kind of woman was Lysistrata?
Is it a pacifist (anti-war) play?
Is it a feminist play – or does it reinforce sexual stereotypes?
Are the traditional gender/power roles reversed in the play?
Analysis
Lysistrata” was first staged in 411 BCE, just two years after Athens' catastrophic defeat in the Sicilian
Expedition, a turning-point in the long-running Peloponnesian War against Sparta, and, after 21 years
of war, there seemed as little prospect of peace as ever. The oligarchic revolution in Athens, which
proved briefly successful that same year, was more political fall-out from the Sicilian disaster was. The
name Lysistrata can be translated as “releaser of war” or “army disbander”.
Modern adaptations of the play are often feminist and/or pacifist in their aim, but the original play was
neither particularly feminist nor unreservedly pacifist. Even while apparently demonstrating empathy
with the female condition, Aristophanes still tended to reinforce sexual stereotyping of women as
irrational creatures in need of protection from themselves and from others. Certainly, it seems clear
that Aristophanes was not actually advocating real political power for women.
It should be remembered that this was a time when women did not have the vote, and when men had
ample opportunities to whet their sexual appetites elsewhere. Indeed, the very idea that a woman
could have enough influence to end a war would have been considered quite ridiculous to the Greek
audience members. Interestingly, when establishing the rules of the sex ban, Lysistrata also makes
allowance for cases where the woman is forced to yield, in which case they should do so with an ill
grace and in such a way as to afford the minimum of gratification to their partner, remaining passive
and taking no more part in the amorous game than they are absolutely obliged to.
An added twist to the gender battle arises from the fact that, although the gender roles were reversed
(with the women acting like men, to some extent, in taking the political initiative, and the men
behaving more like women), in the Greek theatre ALL the actors were actually male anyway. The
male characters in the play would probably have worn large, erect leather phalluses.
Lysistrata herself, though, is clearly an exceptional woman and, even when the other women waver in
their resolution, she remains strong and committed. She is usually quite separate from the other
women: she does not herself exhibit any sexual desire, has no obvious lovers or husband and does
not purposely flirt with men; she is smarter, wittier and generally adopts a more serious tone than the
other women, and uses different language. For these reasons, both the magistrate and the delegates
seem to give her more respect and, by the end of the play, she has demonstrated her power over
men, with even the respected leaders of Greece submissive to her arguments.
Like all of Aristopanes’plays (and Old Comedy in general), the humour is highly topical and the
playwright expected his audience to be familiar with myriad local personalities, places and issues, a
difficulty faced by any producer trying to stage “Lysistrata” for modern audiences. As well as the
slapstick humour and the raucous and risqué double-entendres, much of the humour in the play
derives from the audience’s knowledge of specific figures from Athens’ public life and recent history.
SCENE 1
(Setting: Athens, Greece. 410 BC)
Lysistrata stands alone at the entrance to the Acropolis.
LYSISTRATA:
Women! Invite them to a festival for Dionysus, Adonis, or Genityl-ius, they come running, tambourines in hand, but now there’s no one to be seen. Wait, there’s
one, my neighbor Calonice. Hello, my friend.
Calonice approaches.
CALONICE: Good morning, Lysistrata. Don’t be so down, my dear, it ruins your face
when you knot up your brows like that.
LYSISTRATA:
Oh, Calonice, I’m so upset that it feels like my heart’s about to burst.
Men think we are so shrewd and cunning…
CALONICE: They’re right about that!
LYSISTRATA:
But look around you. We were supposed to meet on important
business, but instead all the women are lying around, sleeping.
CALONICE: They’ll be here soon, my dear, don’t worry. Most of the women are stuck
inside, either taking care of their husbands, or waking up their servants, or putting their
children to bed, or giving their babies a bath or some milk.
LYSISTRATA:
that.
The business that I want to talk about is much more important than all
CALONICE: What is it all about? Is it something big?
LYSISTRATA:
Very big. Huge.
CALONICE: And hard, too?
LYSISTRATA:
Yes, it’s pretty hard.
CALONICE: By Zeus, you’d think everyone would be coming by now!
LYSISTRATA:
No, no, no. It’s nothing like that. If it were, I’m sure everyone would
have been here long ago. No, this is about a plan that’s been bouncing around in my mind
during many sleepless nights.
CALONICE: You’ve been bouncing around all night? Sounds like a fun game.
LYSISTRATA:
This game will lead the women to save all of Greece.
CALONICE: The women? That doesn’t sound like a game we can win.
LYSISTRATA:
It’s a game we must win, for the sake of our country’s future.
Because, if we don’t, Peloponnesia will be destroyed—
CALONICE: So what? Good riddance!
LYSISTRATA:
And so will Thebes.
CALONICE: Thebes too? But they make such good eels there.
LYSISTRATA:
And, as for Athens—well, I won’t say it, but you know what I mean.
But all that can be avoided, if we women—not just the Athenians, but the Peloponnesians and
the Thebans—join together