Lysistrata
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“Well do the same thing” refers to the withdrawal of sexual intercourse proposed by Lysistrata to make peace in Greece. Athens and Sparta had been at war for many years, and Lysistrata, like many other people wanted a stop put to the war. Aristophanes created the character Lysistrata to represent the Athenian women at the time: they had little respect, and were used for sex only. Lysistrata called upon the women of Greece to unite, and they together would be able to make the war come to an end: they way to do this would be to refuse sex with their husbands. A sex strike was imposed, and the husbands of the women would [and did] get very frustrated. In a discussion with the women, Myrrhine and Cleonice brag of the great lengths they would go to, to be able to end the fighting between the Athenians and Spartans. Lysistrata likes what she hears, and proposes the sex strike. The women cry out: they could not possibly give up sex. Lysistrata is outraged at her peers and tells the women that it is their duty to end the war: if the men cannot sort it out themselves, the women [with more common sense] can try to. The women finally agree to Lysistratas plan; they are also told to go powder, primp and make themselves look as attractive as possible so that the men will want them desperately. Not only does the sex strike have a great effect on the men, but the women are also suffering. The women are together in Acropolis [after seizing it to stop money funding the war], and at one point Lysistrata appears exiting the Acropolis, looking distraught. The reason for this is that the women are complaining themselves about the sex strike. A women runs out from the Acropolis stating that she must get back to her weaving at home and runs on; another woman runs across the stage informing Lysistrata she must return home to pluck the fibres from an unpeeled flax; and finally, another woman appears stating that she is pregnant [it is in fact Athenas helmet under her clothes]. Women continue to filter from the Acropolis and crown round Lysistrata who tells the women they must be united for the theory to work. Lysistrata reads an oracle which tells the women if they do not work together they will suffer great shame and embarrassment. Myrrhine locates her husband at the gates of the Acropolis, desperate for sex, Cinesias begs his wife to return home. Lysistrats disapproves, as the women stick together. However, on this occasion she works with Myrrhine; she gives her careful instructions on how to entice her husband. Dramatic irony here, as the scene unfolds [the audience know he will not get what he longs for]. Myrrhine teases her husband: sending him for a bed, then a mattress, and then a pillow. She exploits her husband.
One main part in ÐLysistrata is the point at which the women decide to take over the Acropolis. This situation particularly draws humour to it as it would be highly unlikely this could ever happen. At this point in time, men did the politics; women were for sex and bearing children. “Not sae lang as their warships have sails and they have that bottomless fund o money in Athenas temple”. Here, Lampito points out the “bottomless fund o money”: the politicians/commissioners that controlled the Acropolis used the money that was for the state on funding the war against Sparta. The politicians would use any amount of money needed to fund the war; as long as they had a link and place in the Acropolis; then the Athenians would have no fear of losing the war. “Were going to occupy the Acropolis”: again, absurd. This is extremely humorous as women had no place in politics. Aristophanes uses the character of Lysistrata to lead to way in accomplishing peace [in reality this would/could not happen]. The humour is drawn from the political side of the play: the Acropolis [the second home for the politicians] is where the major decisions are made [naturally, at this point in time by the men], and women were expected to follow what decisions were made. The idea of women taking over the most important building in Athens; and taking control of the state money would have been hilarious for the audience back in the time this play was written.
Comedy is not only shown politically in this play by Aristophanes, but also religiously. To bind the sworn oath; they make a sacrifice to a god[dess?] Ð- there is a comic situation here between the women: where Lysistrata was to use a sacrificial lamb, however Calonice points out to Lysistrata that the sacrifice is for peace, so slaughtering an animal would be hypocritical, and wrong. “Well, if we could slaughter a full grown cock”: this is Calonice using sexual innuendo, it is important to remember, that although the men are not getting any sexual pleasure at home; neither are the women [both sexes would be frustrated]. Lysistrata and Calonices ideas for sacrificial offerings are quickly denied by each other, it is Myrrhine
who has the [comic] idea of using a “large black cup” and putting “Thasian vines blood into it” and using that as the sacrifice. This is agreed upon by all of the women: a show of unity [symbolic: as this