Lysistrata

Format read: paperback
Reading time: 2 hours
Tags: historical, war, female agency, proto-feminism, politics, ancient Greece, theatre, comedy
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 8/10

Summary
The Peloponnesian War has been going on for too long, according to the women of Sparta and Athens, the two warring city states. Lysistrata, a young Athenian woman, decides one day that enough is enough; the war must end, and the women are the ones who will stop it. To achieve this, Lysistrata comes up with a brilliant plan that will drive the men to their knees: withhold sexual favours until they give up on the war. At first, the women are unsure of whether this will actually work, but, as Lysistrata and the others seize the Acropolis, the seat of power in Athens, they come to realize that they hold much more power than what they originally thought. Through a battle of wills, the women of Sparta and Athens prove themselves capable of ruling the city and, if men aren't happy about it, they can just leave.

Review
If you've never read Aristophanes, get ready. As the father of Greek comedy, he is, of course, very witty and funny, but his brand of comedy is bawdy and crude throughout the play. However, even though it seems as though this story isn't very deep because of its language, the bawdiness hides a very important political and social critique: women are capable politicians and strategists, and society has done them wrong by assuming that they cannot accomplish what men do.

Written over 2000 years ago, this play presents ideas and themes that are still very much relevant today. Why can't women be allowed to be in positions of power? Why should war be a man's undertaking? How can countries listen to and respect all of their citizens' voices? These, and more, are things that are developed in this play, but they are camouflaged by comedy.

Aristophanes weaves these ideas throughout the play, and his main character, Lysistrata, is a true politician and war general in how she rallies her troops, takes command of the city, and ultimately gets the men to bow down and give up on the war. She is, of course, a pacifist who does not believe in bloodshed for the sake of gaining territory or power. She is also an idealist who wishes for her city to be more embracing of the different people who make up its numbers. Lysistrata is a hero for her people; she wields a weapon–that of men's sexual desires–to obtain what she wants, which is peace.

By comparison, the other characters in the play pale significantly. The other women are not as brave and clever as Lysistrata; they nearly abandon her plan entirely because they, too, need to have their sexual needs fulfilled. However, Lysistrata rallies them all under the promise that if they stick together, they have a chance at having a better future.

By the end of the play, we have a happy resolution for Sparta and Athens, and men and women alike. The chorus, which had previously been split into a men's chorus and a women's chorus, is united as a single entity of Athenian citizens, showing that the city is also united, unlike before. The soldiers on both sides of the war come to a peaceful arrangement, and the men are permitted to return to their wives and their homes.

Ultimately, Lysistrata proves herself to be a true heroine, a mortal Pallas ruling from beneath the great goddess' shadow at the Acropolis.