Lysistrata :: essays research papers

Aristophanes play Lysistrata takes place during the Peloponnesian War and the women of Greece are tired of their men being at war. Greek women want to preserve the traditional way of life in their community. With this in mind, Lysistrata calls all the women of Greece together and devises a plan. She argues that if the women all participate in two activities, their men will end the war. Her proposals are that the women hold a sexual strike against the men. She urged the women to dress in sexy clothing but refuse sexual activity with the men. The second part of her proposal is that the women take over the acropolis. The old women are to do this first, while the younger women are having the strike. In order to accomplish this, the women challenge the masculine role model. They take on masculine characteristics and attitudes and defeat their men physically, mentally and above all strategically. By portraying the opposite sex, the men are better able to view themselves, leading them to think more about their role and importance in the community. Men are a vital part of a stable environment and have many responsibilities to their wives, family and society. The women make it clear to the men how they feel when they are abandoned, with no sex, no company and no support. This proves that neither side benefits from war; just that one side loses more than the other side. Fourth century B.C. Athenian women would get distressed when their men went to war. Most Athenian women married in their teens and never had to be on their own, and probably wouldn't know what to do if they did land on their own. The men leave for war and some do not return mostly because of death. This creates hardship for the widow who finds herself on her own, most likely with children, and no one to take care of them anymore. The widow has few prospects. If she is young and attractive enough with the right domestic skills she might be able to remarry. But her situation is not too promising. After all, why would you want a widow, when you could get a "fresh" wife to "break-in" the way you want and start a family from your own seed? At the time, women were property. They were something beautiful to own, look at, and kept around to fulfill sexual needs.