Lysistrata

Character List: Kleonike

Kleonike is the next-door neighbor of Lysistrata and is the first to show up at Lysistrata's meeting of women. Kleonike embraces her feminine side and is delighted that Lysistrata's scheme for peace involves garments like negligees.

Character List: Lampito

Lampito is representative of Spartan women. Lampito is a large, well-built woman who American audiences might imagine with a thick Appalachian accent (by Arrowsmith's translation, Sparta was the Greek equivalent of the stereotypically South). Lampito brings the Spartan women into Lysistrata's plan.

Character List: Koryphaios of Women

Like the Koryphaios of Men, the Koryphaios of Women leads the Chorus of Old Women around. The Koryphaios of Women leads a successful seizure of the Akropolis and outwits the men in every possible way.

Plot Summary

Lysistrata has planned a meeting between all of the women of Greece to discuss the plan to end the Peloponnesian War. As Lysistrata waits for the women of Sparta, Thebes, and other areas to meet her she curses the weakness of women. Lysistrata plans to ask the women to refuse sex with their husbands until a treaty for peace has been signed. Lysistrata has also made plans with the older women of Athens (the Chorus of Old Women) to seize the Akropolis later that day. The women from the various regions finally assemble and Lysistrata convinces them to swear an oath that they will withhold sex from their husbands until both sides sign a treaty of peace. As the women sacrifice a bottle of wine to the Gods in celebration of their oath, they hear the sounds of the older women taking the Akropolis, the fortress that houses the treasury of Athens. In Lysistrata there are two choruses—the Chorus of Old Men and the Chorus of Old Women. A Koryphaios leads both choruses. The Chorus of Men is first to appear on stage carrying wood and fire to the gates of the Akropolis. The Chorus of Men is an old and bedraggled bunch of men who have great difficulty with the wood and the great earthen pots of fire they carry. The men plan to smoke the women out of the Akropolis. The Chorus of Old Women also approaches the Akropolis, carrying jugs of water to put out the men's fires. The Chorus of Old Women is victorious in the contest between the choruses and triumphantly pours the jugs of water over the heads of the men. The Commissioner, an appointed magistrate, comes to the Akropolis seeking funds for the naval ships. The Commissioner is surprised to find the women at the Akropolis and orders his policemen to arrest Lysistrata and the other women. In a humorous battle, that involves little physical contact, the policemen are scared off. The Commissioner takes the opportunity to tell the men of Athens that they have been too generous and allowed too much freedom with the women of the city. As the policemen run off, the Commissioner and Lysistrata are left to argue about the Peloponnesian War. Lysistrata argues that the War is a concern for women especially and she adds her two cents as to how the city should be run, drawing an elaborate analogy to show that Athens should be structured as a woman would spin wool. Lysistrata tells the Commissioner that war is a concern of women because women have sacrificed greatly for it—women have given their husbands and their sons to the effort. Lysistrata adds that it is now difficult for a woman to find a husband. The women mockingly dress the Commissioner as a woman. The next day, or perhaps some considerable time afterwards, the sex-strike devised at the beginning of the text, begins to take effect on the men. Lysistrata spots Kinesias, husband of Myrrhine, approaching the Akropolis. Kinesias has a full erection and is desperate for his wife. Myrrhine refuses to have intercourse with Kinesias until peace exists between Athens and Sparta. Kinesias tells Myrrhine that her child needs her, he needs her and he loves her and Myrrhine pretends to listen to his frustrated pleas. Myrrhine hints that she might make love to Kinesias, but delays by going repeatedly into the Akropolis to fetch things to make the couple comfortable. As Kinesias promises to only think about a treaty of peace for Athens and Sparta, Myrrhine disappears into the Akropolis and leaves her husband in great pain. A Spartan Herald approaches the Akropolis and he, like Kinesias, suffers an erection. The Spartan describes the desperate situation of his countrymen and pleads for a treaty. Delegations from both states then meet at the Akropolis to discuss peace. At this point, all of the men have full erections. Lysistrata comes out of the Akropolis with her naked handmaid, Peace. While the men are fully distracted by Peace, Lysistrata lectures them on the need for reconciliation between the states of Greece. Lysistrata reasons that because both Athens and Sparta are of a common heritage and because they have previously helped one another and owe a debt to one another, the two sides should not be fighting. Using Peace as a map of Greece, the Spartan and Athenian leaders decide land rights that will end the war. After both sides agree, Lysistrata gives the women back to the men and a great celebration ensues. The play ends with a song sung in unison by the Chorus of Old Men and the Chorus of Old Women while everyone dances.

Character List: Lysistrata

Lysistrata is an Athenian woman who is sick and tired of war and the treatment of women in Athens. Lysistrata gathers the women of Sparta and Athens together to solve these social ills and finds success and power in her quest. Lysistrata is the least feminine of the women from either Athens or Sparta, and her masculinity helps her gain respect among the men.

Character List: Four Policemen

These Policemen are humiliated again and again by the women. The women, brandishing nothing but lamps, chamber pots and other various household utensils, scare these policemen away.

Character List: Korinthian Girl

This lady accompanies Ismenia and Lampito to Lysistrata's meeting and is known for her vast posterior bodily feature.

Character List: Myrrhine

If rank were imposed, Myrrhine would be the second strongest woman in Lysistrata. Myrrhine is able to seduce her husband, Kinesias, but she refuses sex with him just at the last minute.

Character List: Ismenia

Ismenia is a Boitian girl who has a nice body, keeps herself well tended, and is quite possibly mute.

Character Analysis: Kinesias

Aristophanes makes fun of women, but he also makes fun of his own sex. Kinesias, of course the prime example, is the unhappy target of the women's sex strike. In the infamous scene between Myrrhine and her husband Kinesias, Kinesias is fooled and tricked by his wife. Douglas M. MacDowell suggests that Myrrhine's husband Kinesias is the same gawky and cadaverous poet who is mocked in Aristophanes's Birds. Because Kinesias is a rare name, MacDowell believes that the audience of Ancient Greece would automatically assume it was the same poet, who was the "constant butt of comic dramatists" and the subject of an entire work by Strattis. In Lysistrata, Kinesias proves himself a buffoon, poor father and misogynist-extraordinaire. As many of the women of Greece exemplify the idealized or stereotypical female, Kinesias represents the stereotypical, dimwitted male figure; Kinesias only seeks out his wife because he has a painful erection, he is unable to care for his own children and is outwitted by his playful wife. Kinesias's character confirms that Aristophanes meant Lysistrata to be a play mocking the sexual desires and attributes of both sexes.

Context - Historical Background

Aristophanes's plays range from 427 to 387 BCE. Aristophanes lived in the time of Socrates and Thucydides and was a generation behind Sophocles and Euripides. Plato lived a generation after Aristophanes. Aristophanes put on at least forty plays, eleven of which have survived to modern times. Evidence of other plays by Aristophanes is seen in papyrus fragments and references to unknown works by writers of his time. Plays in the time of Aristophanes were put on at two festivals, in the City Dionysia and the Lenaea. There were also plays at local festivals, but little is known about them. The plays for the town of Dionysia were played at the theatre of Dionysus next to the Akropolis, but it is unclear where the plays of Lenaea were staged. The plays at the festival were always performed as a sort of competition and there was great rivalry between playwrights to take first prize. There is record of Aristophanes winning several contests. Ten comedies were typically produced a year, but during the Peloponnesian War this number was reduced to six. The magistrate or commissioner of the town would decide which plays were put on at the festivals. All plays were performed in the open air, during the day. The stage was a circular dance floor and the audience occupied half of the stage. The actors wore masks that completely obscured their facial features and emotions were only shown by words and gesture. There were no female actors in this time and men played both sexes. Males often wore large artificial genitals on their costumes to heighten their masculinity. To specifically gain an understanding of Lysistrata, one must also have some knowledge of the Peloponnesian War at the time of Aristophanes. The Peloponnesian War is the name for the contest between Athens and the Peloponnesian confederacy, led by Sparta. The war was driven by intense jealously on either side for supremacy in Greece and among the Dorian and Ionian races. In 445 BCE the two sides declared a truce, but when the Corcyreans asked Athens to assist in their war against Corcyra and a fleet was sent in their aid, the Athenians were soon engaged in hostilities with the Corinthians. The Corinthians then asked the Peloponnesian confederacy at Sparta for help. The Spartans determined that the Athenians had broken the truce and decided to war against Athens. The truce between the two countries was openly broken in 431 BCE, in the 15th year of the truce between Sparta and Athens. Sparta's strength was in land and Athens strength was in funds. The Athenians were able to pay foreign sailors to command their naval fleet. The Athenians had more financial resources than the Spartans. Athens was the Greek center of commerce, politics and society. Athens faced many problems during the war. There was a lot of corruption among Athenian leaders and the government was finally overthrown in 411 BCE. The group of 400 men who overthrew the government attempted to form a dictatorial government and make peace with Sparta, but the Athenians then overthrew these men. Athens was then defeated by Sparta. The war was devastating to Athens and it is clear that Aristophanes wanted the states to make peace. It has been suggested by several critics that Aristophanes chose to make women invade and capture the Akropolis because they were the lowest beasts of Greek culture. Aristophanes was commenting on the foolishness of the war where foolish creatures must tell the men what to do. It is impossible to know exactly what Aristophanes intended in his drama, but what we can see is that he strongly condemns war. While it is true that women were of very low rank in Greek society, Aristophanes does suggest that women are somewhat intelligent creatures and should be occasionally listened to.

Major Themes of Lysistrata

(1) The world is a better place when men spend more time loving their wives than their weapons of war. (2) The war between Athens and Sparta is a senseless waste of lives, money, and energy. (3) War not only divides nations; it also divides families. (4) Although men hold all the power in Greek society, they lack the wisdom, common sense and peaceful nature of Greek women. (5) The weak can be strong when their cause is just. (6) In unity, there is strength.

Character Analysis: Lysistrata

Lysistrata is the ultimate MC (master of ceremonies) and director of the action of Lysistrata. Continually giving direction from behind the scenes of the action, Lysistrata not only instructs the women on how to act, but carefully observes and coaches the women. A good example of this "coaching" is Lysistrata's interaction with Myrrhine when Kinesias comes to the Akropolis. Before Kinesias arrives at the Akropolis, Lysistrata gives Myrrhine specific directions on how to act with her husband and then watches to make sure that Myrrhine doesn't give in to Kinesias. From her perch, Lysistrata is the overseer of the action. Lysistrata is also separate from the action of the play and the other women of the play because she does not participate in either the sex strike or the seizure of the Akropolis. While Lysistrata is the mastermind for both of these attacks, she does not take part in them. The separation Lysistrata achieves from the other women is important to her rank and power with the male characters in the play. Because Lysistrata does not exhibit any sexual desire, has no obvious lovers or husbands, and does not purposely flirt with men, the Commissioner and the delegates seems to give her more respect. Lysistrata also uses different language than the other women; she is smarter, has more wit and has a more serious tone than the others. This too contributes to her ability as a leader of Greece. By the end of the play, the men call upon Lysistrata to make the treaty between Sparta and Athens. This scenario, a woman negotiating between states, is completely fictional; in reality, women had no voting privileges in Greece. Therefore, however put, the idea that women could end a war was probably very silly and ridiculous to the Greek audience members; nonetheless, Lysistrata's rejection of the stereotypical domestic female allows her to take the stage and achieve a real political voice in a male-dominated state. It has also been suggested that Lysistrata was a representative of traditional religion which also may have allowed her to be somewhat separate or have a higher social ranking than the other women. This theory, developed by Papadimitriou and Lewis goes as follows. The priestess of Athena Polias was the most famous priestess in Athens. There is significant evidence that in the late fifth century BCE, a woman by the name of Lysimakhe held this post. Lysimakhe was the priestess of Athena Loias for sixty-four years. The name Lysimakhe means dissolving battles and is similar to Lysistrata (a name that means dissolving armies). Also, a woman by the name of Myrrhine was the priestess of the temple of Athena Nike during the same period. It has been suggested that the characters of Lysistrata and Myrrhine were based on real-life priestesses. A priestess in Ancient Greece had the privilege of performing rituals for a goddess. Evidence within the play, such as Lysistrata's ability to call a meeting of all the women of Greece and the fact that Lysistrata leads the women to the temple of Athena, supports this theory.

Character List: Peace

Lysistrata's handmaid. Peace is the unclothed beauty of a woman whom Lysistrata displays and uses during her final plea for peace between Athens and Sparta. Terribly aroused and uncomfortable, the men quickly discuss the terms of a truce, all the while staring at Peace's body.

Key Facts for Lysistrata

Setting: The action takes place in Athens, Greece, during the twentieth year of the Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta. All of the scenes take place on the Acropolis-a citadel and shrine on a craggy, limestone hill 500 feet above sea level-accessible through a marble gateway (the Propylaea) at the western end of a stone wall Type of Play: Old Comedy - a genre of comedy that displayed great imagination and used cutthroat satire and caricature to ridicule public figures, politics, ideas, trends, and institutions. The dialogue and the action sequences rely on vulgarity to get laughs. Structure of Old Comedy: Prologos: Prologue that begins the play with dialogue indicating the focus or theme of the play. Parodos (pronunciation: PAIR uh doss): (1) Song sung by the chorus when it enters; (2) the moment when the chorus enters. Episode(s): scene in which the dialogue involves one or two characters and the chorus. Agon (pronunciation: AG ohn): a debate between characters. Parabasis (puh RAB uh sis): an ode in which the chorus addresses the audience to express opinions of the author, including his views on politics, social trends, and other topics. Stasimon(s) (pronunciation: STASS uh monz): Scenes in which the chorus sings a song, uninterrupted by dialogue. Usually, other characters are not present. Exodos (EX uh doss): Exit scene; final part of the play. In the exodos in The Clouds, Strepsiades burns down the thinking shop. Contains Stichomythia: Stichomythia (stik uh MITH e uh) consists of brief, alternating lines of dialogue spoken in rapid-fire succession. It occurs frequently in Greek drama, especially when characters are arguing or expressing strong emotions. Following is an example of stichomythia in Lysistrata. The leader of the men's chorus and the leader of the women's chorus are threatening each other.

Character Analysis: Chorus of Old Men and Women

The Chorus of Lysistrata is split into two, the Chorus of Men and the Chorus of Women. The two choruses, both old and fragile, are incredibly comic elements of the text. As the members of the choruses have all reached and passed their prime, there is little sexual tension between the rival groups. It is obvious that Lysistrata sends the Old women of Athens to take the Akropolis because they will be of no use in the sex strike. Ironically, the Chorus of Women proves more useful than the younger groups of sex striking ladies. The Chorus of Women not only takes the Akropolis, but also is able to defend it against the Chorus of Men. The Chorus of Men, in the style of Kinesias, is rather dumb and is completely overwhelmed by the women who beat them physically and mentally. The action and relationship between the two choruses parallels the action of the story; as tensions between men and women increase, so does the fighting between the choruses. When peace is declared, the choruses join together as one. This dynamic between the male and female choruses also reveals the dependency between the domestic and political lives of the Athenian people. Like Sparta and Athens, like Myrrhine and Kinesias, like the Koryphaios of Men and the Koryphaios of Women, the choruses find reconciliation when the state declares peace. The Choruses also serve to place the events of the story within the Greek religious and historical tradition. The songs of the men and women constantly refer to other mythological and historical events that are like those that happen on stage.

Character List: Chorus of Old Men

The Chorus of Old Men live up to their title; the chorus is made up of twelve old men who teeter around Athens attempting to keep the women in line. Although, unsuccessful in their civic duties, the Chorus of Old Men strike up some fantastical misogynistic melodies and are a generally comedic element of the play.

Character List: Chorus of Old Women

The Chorus of Old Women seizes and then protects the Akropolis from the Chorus of Old Men. The Chorus of Old Women, although frail, fights to the last with the men and finds victory in the end.

Character List: Commissioner of Public Safety

The Commissioner of Public Safety is apparently the head of security and law in Athens, but is completely overwhelmed by the women and ends up being dressed as a woman himself. Lysistrata has a lengthy conversation with the Commissioner about the future of Athens and peace in the region, but the Commissioner is very slow to understand her logic.

Character List: Koryphaios of Men

The Koryphaios of Men, a stubborn and rather grouchy fellow, leads the Chorus of Old Men around Athens.

Character List: Policewoman

The Policewoman kindly offers her shield up for the women to make a sacrifice upon.

Character List: Kinesias

The needy, desperate clown that Myrrhine calls her husband. Kinesias is the first man to be affected by the sex strike and comes to the Akropolis, fully enflamed.