Never Underestimate the Power of A Woman

The theme, never underestimate the power of a woman, is very evident in Lysistrata. I think the most prominent and humerous part of the play that exemplifies this theme is when the women come out to fight the men. The narration says, "A horde of women, armed with household articles, begins to pour from the Akropolis." Not only is the imagery of this statement very, very funny, but it is significant to the role and power of women as well. It's significance suggests that the role of women is thier power, in a way, because these women were able to use their role in society - housewives - as their manpower for the war. Their weapon in battle were the things that society used to classify them and their role. The women were help down by the men and by society as housewives, that cook, clean, and take care of the children. The women turned that role around and used the pots they cook with, the brooms they clean with, and baby rattles they care for the kids with, (among many other things I'm sure) to fight the men who put them in that position in the first place. This turning of power is a demonstration that the power of women is way beyond what men and society see it as because not only did the women lash out against the men, but they were strong, smart, and clever enough to use their stereotypic role to do the lashing.

Climax

So, it was really hard for my group to pinpoint the climax of the play, to do our presentation. With Ms. D's help, we thought that the climax is when peace is declared. I believe that this climax was very interesting due to they way peace was presented and how peace was declared.
First of all, the men were supposed to make peace with the Spartans. However, Lysistrata is the one who presented peace. This says alot about Lysistrata's character, but anyway...yeah so peace was presented by Lysistrata.
Secondly, peace was presented as a young girl. This is ironic because peace isn't human, it isn't an inanimate object, it's an idea. Lysistrata, a woman, presented another woman/girl as less than object, but as an idea.
Thirdly, the men saw peace as an object. They broke down the girl's body as if it were the land they were fighting over. This is shown when the narrator referrs to Kinesias' actions by saying that he was "surverying Peace [the girl] like a map as he addresses the Spartan. (105)" When the men begin to decide who gets what piece of land, they were choosing Peace's (the girl) body parts.
Lysistrata just stood back and watched this happen, and approved everything. This says alot about what the women/Lysistrata think about themselves and what the men think about the women. This shows that the men and women view the women as sexual objects. It's ridiculous!!!

Two-faced women or desperate housewives?

I found it funny that, around page 70 in Lysistrata, the women start to slip away from Lysistrata. It seems to me that they are lying thier way out of the protest to run home and have sex with thier husbands. I hear so many men say that women are two-faced, sneaky, kniving, and liars. I think this play kind of made that true, but it's ambiguous because we don't really know if the women are leaving to really go home and take care of the house or if they are leaving to get away from the protest and to their husbands. Lysistrata said, "I've lost my grip on the girls - they're mad for men! But sly - they slip out in droves. (70)" She goes on to state how she saw two of the girls sneaking away in a very sneaky way (and brought one back) lol and how she one girl "just flat out deserted (70)." After Lysistrata said this, the First Woman came in and gave a stupid excuse of, moths are going to destroy some good wool she has at home, to get away. Then, the second and third woman came out and gave just as stupid excuses to leave. Lysistrata didn't let any of them leave because she knew what was really going on.
Does these women's actions just prove guys right? Are women really that sneaky, sly, kniving, and liars? It's crazy to me that this story seems to be proving the point that women are strong and powerful, but these actions completely contradict that.

Sisterhood

It didn't really amaze me, but it made me proud, when the women all stood up for each other to fight against the men. The police were trying to arrest the women because they thought that would possibly put down the protest. However, when they tried to arrest Lysistrata, Kleonike came to her rescue. When they tried to arrest both of them, Myrrhine stepped up to help. When they tried to arrest all three of those women, Ismenia stepped up to the rescue. This says alot of the bond of women, sisterhood. These women took an oath together, and promised to stick it out and fight this protest together. Is is excellent how they stood up for one another and fought together. This is a true bond of sisterhood. They all stepped up to fight for the honor, safety, and freedom of the text woman, and they were all ready to go down together, but not without a fight. Other than all of the other very evident themes of Lysistrata, sisterhood is one of the themes that you have look deeply to recognize, and it's most important to note that it is one of the most essential and important themes of the play. This is because it has alot to do with how and why the women abided by the oath the whole time (even it just was one day).

Men are always weak

If you really pay attention to the play, you'll see that the men were weak from the beginning. It would seem that they are just weak at the end, when they do what the women say (make peace), but they were weak all along. In the beginning of the play, the Chorus of Men retreated from the rath of the women. At first, they tried to stand their ground, but they eventually backed down from the women. It's almost like they ran away, scared. This is a sign of weakness, in my opinion. I kind of figured the men would give in and do what the women wanted them to do because of this retreat early in the story. If they can't stand their ground, keep their word, and fight back against the women to start with, they can't outlast the women in this protest.

Then and Now

There are many things that occur in Lysistrata that still occur today. One of which is the men's reactions to the women's protest. Now-a-days when women are disobedient or out-of-hand, in some cases, men feel that hitting, beating them will shut them up and set them straight. It probably doesn't happen as much as it did back in Lysistrata's time, but it certainly still does happen. The men also didn't like the abstinance protest, so they wanted to rape the women. This is still evident today. There are wives who make their husbands mad, girls who upset their boyfriends, and ladies to refuse sex to a stranger, and the men would rape them to get what they want and to get compliance from the women.
It's crazy, to me, how this play reflects current issues in an older day and age using very relevant issues, such as war (Iraq for example).

Sex = important? needed? desired?

I feel that this play really brings the importance of sex, in human nature, to the light. So many people see sex as something shameful, something that shouldn't be openly talked about. I was never this way. It is something natural to human nature in my opinion. Not just the act, but the feelings and results of the act. It can be an act of love and passion, and it brings children into this world, which is something beautiful and wonderful. I like the way Lysistrata opening talks about sex and expresses the desire for it within the men and women of the play.
This desire was most evident, in the women, when Lysistrata proposed using abstinance as a protest of the war, to bring the men home. Before Lysistrata told the women what the protest was, they were all ready to join it and participate to the fullest. They were ready to give thier lives and limbs. However, when Lysistrata said the they would refrain from sex as the protest, all the women changed their minds. It seemed that they needed sex in their lives. In those days, childbearing and husband-wife intimacy was a big thing and a woman's role. Sex was too important to these women for them to give it up in protest.
I believe that this importance of sex in the play was a mirror of the importance of sex now-a-days. Even though, it is not openly discussed anymore, people still feel that it is a need.

Hmmm.....disobedience = power of women

The significance of women disobedience in Lysistrata is a symbol of one of the themes in Lysistrata: Never underestimate the power of a woman. Many men believe that women are weak, easily influenced, and obedient. They feel that women will bow down to the power of a man, and comply with him. They think that women's power is so minimul that we are not capable of thinking for ourselves and being independent indiviuals.
The women's disobedience in Lysistrata counters this belief. It serves as a reality check, proving that women havve the almightly power to do whatever they want to do. This disobedience was well-organized, thoroughly thought-out, and planned. This shows that women are able to think for themselves and organize an outstanding protest.
Also, during the time that Lysistrata was written, women's power was taking care of the house and family, in men's eyes. This disobedience waws the women's way of showing the men that thier power (women's) went beyond what the men thought. The disobedience is a symbol of a turning point in their time and society.

Women - Quitters? Stick it out?

Even though an oath was taken, I do not think that all the women will hold true to it. In the play, the women were reluctant to agree to be abstinant, when Lysistrata first proposed it. Even though they all gave in eventually, I don't believe that their first instincts are going to subside. I feel that they will not publically disregard and break the oath, but they will have sex with their husbands in secret.
I believe that the only reason the women took the oath is because Lysistrata was pushing the point. It was almost forced to black-mailed, in a way. When an oath is forced upon someone, they are likely to not abide by the oath. However, depending on who forces the oath, in this case it's Lysistrata, they might comply. Because Lysistrata is such an important person in their society, the women might stick to the oath.
In addition, the women will not be able to withstand the oath because they want to please their husbands. In those days, pleasing thier husbands and maintaining a healthy and happy family was a big thing. The women held a strong role in the society as far as pleasing husbands and keeping the family happy. These women may not be able to go against their role and regular routines.

Abstinance = End of War

I don't think that the plan to be abstinant will cause the men to refrain from war will work, but it might if all of the women agree to participate and hold that agreement. I believe that sex is so curcial to humans, that men will not be able to live without it just to fight a war. Humans enjoy sex, mostly, and the men don't know how long the war is going to last. If the men know or even thought that the war would end soon, they would probably be able to go on without sex until then.
Also, if all the women don't comply with the protest, then the plan will not work. All the men would continue to fight the war, while having sex with the few women who are willing. This is how it would be today. I'm almost positive that not all women would join a protest of that sort. Men will still be sleeeping with the women who are sill putting out. Also, the amount of women who have sex for a living is enormous, and I don't think they would stop just for a protest.