Secondly the uniqueness of Lysistrata is another reason in my opinion why the success of the play depends on her characterization. Lysistrata is presented as a contradiction from the stereotypical way in which the women are perceived in the time this play was written. This is because she comes across as more than just the regular child bearing machine and also because she does not possess the regular feminine and domestic characteristic women are expected to have. This is made evident as she mocks all the other female characters similarly to men. , “Just think if it had been a Bacchic ceremony that they’d been ask to attend……You wouldn’t have been able to move for all tambourines”, she says when referring to the women. Lysistrata’s reference to the other women as “they” suggests that she does not count herself as one of the women. Aristophanes, through her character, balances the two extremes, as she is versatile. She moves from this clever, dignified and outstanding woman and shows the womanly side of her in another instance. “Fully made up, and we walk around the house wearing sheer lawn shifts and nothing else; the men are all horny and can’t wait to leap on us”. The use of the word we here symbolises that she is now of the women, contrary to our first perception. She is therefore a combination of the two extremes of character, which without a doubt, makes her very outstanding.
The presentation of Lysistrata as a figure of challenge and rebellion to the Greek norms and principles is another way the success of the play depends on her character. This is made evident mostly by the argument she puts forward in her Agon with the magistrate. She expresses the hardship put on women due to the superiority of men and how they are not “allowed to make a little suggestion to the men, no matter how much they mismanaged their affairs”. She also points out the disadvantageous nature of war as it has wiped out the male population and how it has allowed “opportunities for stealing public funds” .Through this, Lysistrata makes evident her bold and audacious nature. In my opinion, I think through this argument, Aristophanes expresses his personal views on what is happening in Greece, which emphasizes the importance of Lysistrata’s characterization in the build-up of the plot.
Furthermore, Lysistrata contributes to the humour in the play; the most important element, which makes up Greek comedy. In the first instance, the ridiculous nature of her seriousness over such an absurd idea- the sex revolt is what is would be most humourous to the audience. She refers to her idea as “a very big thing” and says that the women “have the salvation of all Greece in their hands”, which is ironic, as women obviously have less power in the society. Also she is the director and coordinator of on one of the most comical scenes in the play. By this I mean the scene where the women engage themselves in a fight with the men. “Come on, daughters of the porridge and vegetable market…Stop-withdraw.” Here, Aristophanes’ selection of titles for the women such as the daughters of the porridge and vegetable vendors would be very humourous as they are quite inappropriate for the situation in which they are in- in the middle of a fight.
On the other hand, to argue against the fact the play, “Lysistrata” depends on the characterization of its eponymous hero can be logical, as Lysistrata aims are not particularly convincing. By this I mean the use of a sex revolt to achieve peace is quite unrealistic. An opinion in defence of this is that the concept of Greek comedy allows for any exaggerations and impracticality and that Aristophanes is more concerned with achieving peace at the end of play, rather than how logical or convincing the process of this peace will be.
Lastly, another argument against the fact that the play, “Lysistrata” depends on the characterization of its eponymous hero is the fact that the most dominating comic scene does not involve Lysistrata, the character. Here, I am referring to the scene with Cinesias and his wife, Myrrhine. In my opinion, through out this play, this very comical scene is the one that stays put in the mind of the audience the most out of all the others. The sexual frustration of Cinesias mixed teasing of Myrrhine is what makes the scene most humourous. “She’s gone! She’s done me and diddled me! Just when I was all ripe and peeled for her she ran away!” stressing his disappointment. An argument in defence of this is the fact that Lysistrata sets up the whole scenario.
In conclusion, I am supporter of the view that the success of the play, “Lysistrata” depends on the characterization of its eponymous heroine due to the fact that without her character and her contributions to the play, it would not exist and Aristophanes would not have been able to put forward the ideas which he does through her character.
