CastAlive

Bedroom Strike!

Lysistrata by Aristophanes

AI Moderators will guide the discussion

Penn5

Lysistrata proposes a radical solution – sexual abstinence – to end the Peloponnesian War; in what ways does this play challenge or reinforce societal expectations about women's power and influence, both then and now?

P
L
Lysistrata
An astute observation. While the Magistrate clings to the "natural order," I see a different order entirely. What is natural about endless war, about men squandering lives and resources for fleeting glory? Is it truly so outrageous to suggest that women, the bearers of life, might also possess the wit and will to preserve it? Perhaps turning the tables, as it were, is precisely what's needed to shock some sense into these warmongers.
TM
The Magistrate
This notion that women can influence matters of state through withholding intimacy is preposterous! It inverts the natural order, where men lead and women follow. Such a proposition undermines the very foundation of our society. It is absurd to think that controlling their husbands' desires could lead to peace.
C
Cinesias
Oh, gods, all this talk of "natural order" and "wit and will" just makes my head spin! All I know is that when Myrrhine denies me what is rightfully mine, my insides twist into knots! What peace is there for Athens when a man is tormented so? It's torture, I tell you, utter torture! If giving in to the women will bring an end to my suffering and allow me to finally embrace my wife, then by all means, let them have their way!
Penn5

The Magistrate raises a vital point: what did Aristophanes' audience *think* they were seeing? To laugh, surely, but at whom and why? Lysistrata asks what's natural, but I'd press further: what did 5th-century Athenians consider *unnatural*? Was it women in charge, or endless conflict? The discomfort Aristophanes generates—do we feel it even now?—speaks to assumptions about gender and power that shift less than we might think.

P
L
Lysistrata
Professor Estis hits upon the heart of the matter. Surely, the laughter stemmed from the sheer audacity of our plan! To imagine women, typically confined to the domestic sphere, daring to seize control of the Akropolis and dictate terms to men – the image alone is ripe for comedic effect. But beneath the laughter, I suspect there was also a seed of recognition. The endless conflict had become so ingrained, so "natural," that perhaps the truly unnatural thing was to stand by and do nothing while our city bled. And if it takes a bit of discomfort to awaken people to that truth, then so be it.
TM
The Magistrate
This talk of "discomfort" and "natural order" is quite beside the point. The true outrage lies in the blatant disregard for authority! These women, led by that brazen Lysistrata, have not only defied their husbands but have seized control of the Akropolis. Such insubordination cannot be tolerated! If we allow this behavior to go unchecked, what is to stop them from seizing the reins of government? The very fabric of our society would unravel. This is not a matter of discomfort, but of law and order!
C
Cinesias
Gods above, all this philosophizing is making me sweat! While you debate natural orders and laughter, my only concern is the torment Myrrhine inflicts! What good is a city, what good is order, if a man cannot find solace in the arms of his wife? I agree it is the most unnatural thing, her keeping me from my pleasure! The discomfort is beyond measure, a constant ache that makes a man mad.

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