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Lysistrata: War on the Sexes
10
War on the Sexes
Ruth Cortright, Jerome Delmorro, America Balfour, Christina D'Ostilio
Claim
This play presents a war between the sexes as the characters work to bypass their stereotypes and the assumption that women had no impact on Greek society. Lysistrata is about war but is also about the strength of women and a fight for equality.
Claim
Evidence #1:Calonice and Lysistrata
Evidence 1
LYSISTRATA: As for Athens, I won’t use any such unpleasant words. Here -the Spartans, the Boeotians, and we Athenians-then all together we will save Greece
CALONICE: But what could women do that’s clever or distinguished? We just sit around all dolled up in silk robes, looking pretty in our sheer gowns and evening slippers
Analysis
Analysis
This early scene of the play establishes the consistent tone throughout the play that women, even themselves, are not regarded highly of.
Calonice v Lysistrata
Calonice: This line helps establish the character of Calonice who is a symbol of the misogyny that is so explicit in the play for she abides by the stereotypes against her kind
Lysistrata: The comparison between the two characters further emphasizes Lysistrata's critical role as a leader in the fight for equality
Calonice v Lysistrata
Evidence 2
Evidence 2
MAGISTRATE: ‘What? Do we make war on account of the treasure?’ LYSISTRATA: ‘Yeas and you cause all of our other troubles for it, too. Peisander and those greedy office-seekers keep things stirred up so they can find occasions to steal. Now let them do as they like: they’ll never again make off with any of this money.’ Magistrate: ‘What will you do?’ Lysistrata: ‘What a question! We will administer it ourselves.’ Magistrate: ‘You will administer the treasure?’ Lysistrata: ‘What’s so strange in that? Don’t we administer the household money for you?’ Magistrate: ‘That’s different.’ . . . . . ‘How else will we be saved?’ Lysistrata: ‘We’ll save you.’ Magistrate: ‘You?’ Lysistrata: ‘Yes, we!’”(Lysistrata, p. 326-327)
Analysis
Analysis
During this confrontation, Lysistrata takes a stand for all the women of Greece, Sparta, Boeotia, and Thebes. They have been long subject to male dominated politics and affairs, and when women do want to speak up, they are always silenced. Magistrate finds it amusing of the idea of women handling the treasury. Lysistrata then breaks up an intriguing comparison that is impossible to ignore: if women are in charge of the funds of the household, why can't they have a say in the treasury? Again, the idea of women in any degree of power is put down illogically by Greek men, even when there is no defense.
This scene is one of the most pressing scenes in Lysistrata because it pertains throughout history and remains today. It was only 100 years ago that women could vote and run for political office, and even today there are still sexist motives in not voting for women.
Political View
Evidence 3
Evidence 3
“Lysistrata: ‘Very well. Formally we endured the war for a good long time with our usual restraint, no matter what you men did. You wouldn’t let us say boo, although nothing you did suit us. But we watched you well, and though we stayed at home we’d often hear of some terrible stupid measure you’d proposed. Then, though grieving at heart, we’d smile sweetly and say, ‘What was passed in the Assembly today about writing on the treaty stone?’ ‘What’s it to you’ my husband would say. ‘Hold your tongue!’ And I held my tongue.’ First Woman: ‘But I wouldn’t have-not I!’ Magistrate: ‘You’d have been soundly smacked if you hadn’t kept still’”(Lysistrata, p. 327-328)
Analysis of the Scene
Analysis of the Scence
In this scene, it is made apparent that women are supposed to be silent and obedient. Lysistrata states how the men never made any decisions that would benefit the stay at home wives. Although, the women would often hear the idiocity the men spoke at the Assembly. So the women would smile in hope of an honest return of words that the men discussed earlier. Sadly, for the women it was frowned upon to even have a thought. So they were to keep silent or else they would have been beaten by their husbands. Although, for Lysistrata the situation was different in the fact that she would continue to bicker to get her point across. But when she spoke on the idea of their clueless proposals in the Assembly...she was told that War shall be the concern of men.
Knowledge - Seekers
The Knowledge of Women
As we can see, this idea of indiffernece is written all over the text. Women had no say in Greek politics nor could speak the truth to their husbands. They were scowled for thinking that they could even opinionate on the Assembly or war itself. Although, what the Greek men do not realize is that women are the words of all knowledge. This goes back to Edipus and his constant call for mommy because she were to explain his dreams and reasonings. Because at the end, this relates to our class idea on how men are all beasts until they settle down with a woman and change their morals for a more peaceful life. Men seek their knowledge from women. Thus, at the end of the play - the women succesfully take on the sex strike and prove that their suttle actions are more powerful than anything.
Peace and Statues
“Athenian: ‘I’ve never seen a more voluptuous body!’ Lysistrata: ‘Why then, with these many noble deeds to think of, do you fight each other? Why don’t you stop this villainy? Why not make peace? Tell me, what prevents it?’ Spartan: “We’re willing if you’re willing to give up on yonder flank.’ . . . Athenian: ‘Well let’s see: first of all [pointing to various parts of Reconciliation’s anatomy] give us Echinus here, this Maliac Inlet in back here, and these two Megarian legs.’”
Evidence 4
Analysis
Even when the Greeks were agreeing on peace they could not stop commenting on women and seeing them as property. Lysistrata is organizing peace and yet the men can only comment on the body of statue women next to her. Even as she is leading political discussions, the men only ever see women as an object that they own. Comparing the land they own to a woman's body
Connection to Modern Day
Modern Day
Translated to today's world, there still exists a prominent gender inequality within politics, media, and sports that is fought daily.
Entertainment/Media: Oscars
Media
-The Oscars also regarded as the Academy Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit in the film industry
-Each year, this ceremony faces strong backlash for its repeated disregard for the equal female talent
Evidence
Of the 10,000 total nominations since the 1st ceremony (1929), women have only represented 14% of all of these nominations
-Best Director: Of 449 nominations (since 1929) for best director, only five have ever been given to a female director
Evidence
-Best picture: a female director has been nominated only 13/379 times. No female nominee has ever won this category
-Best Cinematography: Out of 609 total nominations (since 1929), only one female creator has ever been nominated has ever been