Lysistrata Essay

Lysistrata, by the Greek writer Aristophanes, tells a Greek comedy set in ancient Greek times around 411 B.C. The story places us in Athens were there is a war against the Athens and Spartans. This war was a long one and the wives were missing their men. Soon women grew tired of the war. A women named Lysistrata took it upon herself to take action against the war. She decided to rally up all the women and go against the men in the war to end it. Lysistrata’s idea to stop the war involved the women to abolish sex from men. Due to gender roles women were never taken seriously about the revolt against the war by the characters in the play. Particularly, in the beginning of Lysistrata lysistrata calls for a meeting with all the women from Athens

The commissioner was from the war effort and wanted to get in the Arkpoilois for funding the army. Unfortunately for the commissioner Lysistrata and the women were there denying any entry. The commissioner asks “What possible object could you have had in blockading the Treasury” (p.63) . She then tells the commissioner that “ We thought we’d deposit the money in escrow and withdraw you men from the war” (p.63) . Lysistrata believes the women can handle taking care of the money till the ends. The commissioner and lysistrata arguing about the women taking over the money. Telling the commissioner that the women can handle it “we’ll budget the money”(p.63). Commissioner is baffled by lysistrata’s statement about handling the money by women. Arguing that “The war effort needs this money!”(p.64). Lysistrata then continues to argue on with commissioner but then she asked “This disturbs you?” (p.65). Commissioner then states it “doubtless illegal!”(p.65). This can give a sense that the commissioner is not willing to understand that the women want to take care of the money. He seems to not believe in lysistrata and the women in making sure everything in order at the Arkiplois. Just like what most of this book tends to be, characters like the commissioner don’t believe in what the women are doing due to the gender roles set in this

While in the Arkiplois some of the women tried to escape by making excuses to from Arkiplois. Some of the excuses were “I have to get home. I’ve got all this lovely Milesian wool in the house, and the moth will simply batter it to bits” (p.83). It seems as this woman had enough of the revolt and needed a good excuse that she felt that some women would understand. Sadly for her lysistrata knew she was lying and told her to get back inside. This was ongoing theme for a while for the women in the Arkipoils. A second women emerges and is running she then said “ my flax! I left and forgot to peel it! (p.83). What can be made of this is that these women became desperate to leave because the forgotten and or stopped believing in the relvot now. Being away from sex also affected the women as well, since like the second woman was making an excuse to get out due to her plant not being peeled shows how ridiculous the excuses are getting. Lysistrata knew this and again told the woman that “ No. No plucking. You start it, and everyone else will want to go and do their plucking, too” (p.84). Lysistrata understands that if one of the women get away then all the women will so0n leave and abandon the revolt that she started. A third woman who came out pleading like those before turned out to be a major concern for lysistrata and the women. For her plea was about her