“Lysistrata: Did you think we were slaves? - Or that women couldn’t have any stomach for a fight?
Magistrate: I must admit I thought they only had one for booze.” (p. 201)
This demonstrates how women are regarded as men’s companions in parties and bed, not even crossing men’s minds that they could also take part in decisions of the polis. This is ironically contradictory because they trust them to be in charge of the city and the household in their absence. Men acknowledge women’s capacities, but they decide to ignore them.
As stated above, women in Greece had to be in charge of the household performing daily tasks and making sure all is in order: “It’s not so easy for a wife to get out of the house, you know. They’ll all be to and fro for their husbands, waking up the servants, putting the baby to bed or washing and feeding it”. We can appreciate that women make this their priority over the meeting, as it is their primary, duty. This is a role that has transcended to our time occupying the same priority ever since, and it is this corrupted notion which unnerves Lysistrata deeply. However, Lysistrata’s real complaint is that their husbands take them for granted:
“Lysistrata: Sorry Calonice but I’m furious. I’m disappointed in womankind. All our husbands think we’re such clever villains-
Calonice: Well, aren’t we?” (p.180)
Women in this comedy have to endure the insults and underestimation from their counterparts, to the point where women themselves believe these accusations and adopt them as part of their identity. It is the acceptance of their condition, fearing their husband’s retaliations, what truly infuriates and further disappoints Lysistrata about women. It is for this very reason that she not only refuses to take part of this unfair status quo but she also wants this Athenian male centered society to change as well.
Furthermore, women accept themselves to be frivolous and pendant only on appearances. This is exemplified when Calonice’s first intervention refers to Lysistrata’s face: “Don’t screw up your face like that. It really doesn’t suit you, knitting your eyebrows up like a bow or something.”They also show to be self involved when appearances predominate their thoughts, as shown when Calonice diverges from Lysistrata’s conversation in page 182, to refer repeatedly to her clothes; “I’m going to get some dye on my yellow gown” and “I’ll put on a see-through right away!”, showing both excitement and satisfaction. These shallow comments women express also contribute to men’s notion that they are shallow and unable to treat serious matters. Their habit and nature to give importance to their beauty, however, comes to a halt as they decide to use this beauty as a means to and war; beauty itself takes secondary action and bringing peace to Athens becomes a priority.
Lysistrata’s plan, though placed in this comedy as a source of laughter, shows Aristophanes’ careful and deep examination of the relationship between a man and woman, and the desires that arise between them. This reveals that behind women’s feisty attitude and inclination towards sex, he is quite aware that it is sexual desire what draws men to women. This is men’s weakness and, conversely, it is also women’s strength. However, sex abstinence faces some skepticism from the very beginning because it goes against the women’s nature and the role they are expected to fulfill: “The women? What could they do that was of any use? Sitting at home putting on cosmetics and saffron gowns and Cimberian see-through shifts, with slippers on our feet.”-says Calonice ( page 181). They give the impression of believing they are of no use other than staying at home and looking pretty, like an accessory to their husbands. This only gives us further evidence of the stereotype women have accepted to the point where they underestimate themselves, following society’s expectations. Women’s capacities are, however, taken for granted. They were not indifferent to matters of the polis shown when they did not approve of their husbands decision to go to war unnecessarily. Women, fearing their husbands’ reaction, did not communicate their opinions, perpetuating the situation. Lysistrata presents the turning point of this situation, tired of being underestimated: “In the last war we were too modest to object anything you men did- and in any case you wouldn’t let us say a word. But don’t think we approved! ... what did my husband always say- “Shut up and mind your own business”- And I did.” (p. 201). Lysistrata moves women to bring peace and, through their “sex starvation” plan, they also achieve freedom of thought and speech.
The strike also gives evidence to support men’s claim that women are always manipulating and controling them through deceit. Lysistrata understands that men’s attraction and desire for women, especially when they look their best, is their most effective ability, shown clearly in her plan to end the war: “Well, just imagine: we’re at home, beautifully made up, wearing our sheerest lawn negligees… and the men are all like ramrods and can’t wait to leap into bed, and then we absolutely refuse- that’ll make them make peace soon enough, you’ll see.”(p. 185) Ironically Lysistrata, who despises men’s assumptions and generalizations about women, embodies men’s stereotype of the conniving woman and hence gives them reasons to persevere in their standing that women are devious and disloyal. Her plan aims towards peace which would be beneficial to eager women, unwilling men and the acropolis as a whole. However, her method only infatuates men’s notion of women as objects of desire. Furthermore, she exploits their sexual potential to the point of adopting the male perspective by judging their physical attributes: women compliment each other on their “marvellous tits”, buttocks and “fertile vale”. They start regarding their bodies as tools towards a mean in a very detached and pragmatic manner, similarly but to a lesser extent of how a prostitute would. However, it is women’s ability to accept their sexuality and regard themselves as objects for the purpose of pursuing their ideals, putting aside their desires, what makes them witty and clever, despite their frivolity.
This way, Lysistrata was the spark in the pursuit for peace, but she quickly ignited other women’s conscience, spreading a fire which destroyed men’s superiority. This is because the living conditions in Greece, due to the constant wars, had become quite harsh. Women were tired of seeing the city and their own families separated due to the Peloponnesian War: “…as for my man, if he ever turns up at home it’s sanely to pit a new strap on his shield and run off again.” (p.184)-says Lampito. Their reasons for peace are also economic as they “want to keep the money safe and stop (men) from waging the war.” Women see that the money of the city has been very poorly allocated in a war that has no point; a war that is no longer worth being a part of. More importantly, this war is tearing families apart and even results in the death of loved ones and even impeding women from forming families: “... we’ve given our sons, and then had to send them off to fight… Even if we’ve got husbands, we’re war widows just the same…a woman’s not in bloom for long and if she doesn’t succeed quickly, there’s no one who will marry her…” (p. 204-205). Men may enter a war for valid reasons but the truth is that in most cases war was avoidable and, most importantly, unfair to women who have to suffer the burden of men’s decisions. Underneath the humor, Aristophanes shows truth about the current war Athenians were fighting; women have to endure a harsh life away from their loved ones, watching them come back and quickly leave, wondering if that was the last time they will ever see them. It is this very reason which fuels women’s desperation and pushes them take the oath of abstinence, despite their reluctance.
Whilst pursuing their aims, women break their mold of quiet housewives; they leave behind this stereotype to show they are also brave and bold. This can be shown when they bar the doors of the city and refuse to let men in, even after they threatened them and tried to set the doors on fire. Then, the women resist their arrest and policemen’s authority is diminished against the women’s army. The Magistrate is then teased by the women; firstly when dressed as a woman and then as a corpse. Women show to have lost respect for the authorities, the way authorities like the Magistrate had little respect towards them, considering themselves superior to them. In turn, women’s approach to manage the city is very different from men’s. They adopt the new policy of using common sense and intelligence instead of violence by sending ambassadors to end the war, as well as organizing their city. The Magistrate cannot believe women’s sudden rebellion and regards it as outrageous and intolerable; to him their cause does not make sense. From the male perspective, the war is paramount; this is the way their society has to work, as it has worked countless times in the past. Conversely, women show they are able to go against the fear of divorce they had when they first heard the plan. They are now sure of their effect on men and how much they actually rely on them. This gives them the much needed confidence to carry on with their strike. This way, we acknowledge women together could invert the roles in society; it is them who now have the responsibility and, most importantly, it is them who now have the power to change the city and the empire.
In conclusion, our perception of women, in both their characters and roles in society, has drastically changed throughout the play. They have proved to be capable of cunningly pursuing peace and enforcing it with the most important and effective control they have over men: sex. They have shown that their opinion and vote are also valid. They resolve conflicts with intelligence and diplomacy, avoiding war at all costs because they are aware of the great suffering this brings to their people and themselves. Most importantly, we see that, even though it is Aristophanes’ intention to generalize and ridicule women’s attitudes, they show to have strong personalities, which, joined together as one unstoppable force, enabled them to succeed in their pursuit for peace.
Marielle Alvino
