Say In The War example essay topic

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. Their chief responsibility was to raise children in the appropriate cultural aspect. Women did not have any respectable social values except for sex and family. It was thought ridiculous to consider placing women in any position requiring thought or decision making. To think of a woman as multi-dimensional was absurd, which made the act of role reversal so comical.

Women in the play are also upset that they have not been able to have a say in the war. Though they were not allowed to be a part of political life in Athens, they knew that they could influence their husbands. Lysistrata ' Heretofore we women in time of war have endured very patiently through it, putting up with whatever you men might do, for never a peep would you let us, but we knew very well, while we sat at home, when you'd handled a big issue poorly, and we'd ask you then, with a pretty smile though our heart would be grieving us sorely, 'and what were the terms for a truce, my dear, you drew up in assembly this morning?' 'And what's it to you?' says our husband 'Shut up!' -so as ever, at this gentle warning I of course would discreetly shut up". The relationship between a man and his wife would be different in every marriage and, therefore, the amount of influence that each woman had would vary. Lysistrata 'Come, now that all the rest has been so well arranged, you Spartans take these women home; these others, you.

Let husbands stand beside his wife, and let each wife stand by her husband: then, when we have danced a dance to thank the gods for our good fortune, let's take care hereafter not to make the same mistakes again' This final quote points out that sometimes women are needed to make men think in a different way and provide a reality check. The women had to negotiate between the cities so that the issues could be resolved and the war ended.