Aristophanes, Lysistrata PartI

SandrineBertauxAssistantProfessorofHumanities

The Political Context of Lysistrata

•  421PeaceofNicias•  415ExpeditionofSicily–destroyed(413)•  SpartaseizesandfortifiesapermanentbaseafewmilesfromAthens(AtheniangeneralAlcibiadesadvisingtheSpartans).

•  411Lysistratafirstperformed•  Summer411:acoup:OligarchyoftheFourHundred,thenFiveThousand.

• DariusIIbacksSparta-404Athenssurrenders.

Aristophanes (446-386), Lysistrata

Lysistrata(“disbanderofarmies”),anAthenianwoman,organizesasecretconferenceatwhichshepersuades,notonlyotherwivesofAthens,butrepresentativesfromthewivesoftheotherbelligerentcitiesofthePeloponnesianwar,includingonefromSparta,toswearanoaththattheywilldenysexualintercoursetotheirhusbandsandloversuntilthemenagreetoendthewarandmakepeace.Inthemeantime,someAthenianwomenoccupytheAcropoliswherethetreasuryis,andblockitsaccesstomenwhoneedittocontinuethewar.Lysistrata’splansucceeds:AthenianandSpartanmen(desperatetohavesex)agreetomakepeace.

Is Lysistrata an anti-war play? Is it a feminist play? Does it give women a voice?

And what is so comic anyway?? Amanasks,“God,whydidyoumakewomansobeautiful?”Godresponded,”Soyouwouldloveher.”Themanasks,“ButGod,whydidyoumakehersodumb?”Godreplied,“Soshewouldloveyou.”

Q:IsGooglemaleorfemale?A:Female,becauseitdoesn'tletyoufinishasentencebeforemakingasuggestion.

Can a comic character be a hero? Is Lysistrata a heroine?

Aristotle on Tragedy and Comedy as genres (Poetics) Tragedy• Aboutserious,importantandvirtuouscharacters;

•  Toarouseemotionsofpityandfear;

•  tragedy’saimisthecatharsiseffect(tragicpleasure)ofsuchemotionsontheaudience

ComedyLostpartofthemanuscriptbut:Aboutweaknesses,humanbeingsworstthanourselves;Festiveandsexualjokesanddisplay(phallus)

Theatre: A Political Institution

•  Theatre,encounterofepicandtragedy,“revolutionaryinvention”ofAthens

•  ImportanceofspeechinAthens•  Influenceonpublicopinion

Dionysos, God of Theatre and…wine

City Dionysia and Lenaia (Dionysos Lenaios) •  theatre:apublicaffair,state-sponsored.• PerformanceofAthenianplays:overseveraldaysatannualreligiousfestivals.

•  Lysistrataperformedin411attheLenaiafestival.

Lysistrata:“JustthinkifithadbeenaBacchiccelebrationthey’dbeenaskedtoattend…Youwouldn’thavebeenabletomoveforallthetambourines.”(1)

• Acontest..ofChoruses:Lysistrata:2choruses(exceptional):theybecomeone,dancesandsingsonstage.

• First-rateactorswereassignedbylotterytoplaywrights;limitsofthenumberofactorsto4incomedies;

• Prizesawardedtoauthors,actors,andproducersmodest;butitdoesbringenormousfame;

• Actors,andchorus,areonlymale;audience:women,men,slaves…

Grotesque costumes, paunches, large leather phallus(male characters)

.. Save for women and some male characters (the Magistrate; Scythian policemen) Lysistrata:Welcome,Lampito,mybelovedSpartanfriend!Sweetheart,howabsolutelyravishingyoulook!Suchbeautıfulcolour,suchripplingmuscles!Why,Ibetyoucouldthrottleabull.(79-82)

Rigid masks: Calonice to L: Don’t screw your face like that (7)

Theatre of Dionysos

War and Women WarPrizes(Homer,TheIliad)“Thegirl- Iwon’tgiveupthegirl.Longbeforethat,Old age will overtake her in myhouse,inArgos,Far from her fatherland, slavingback and forth at the loom,f o r c e d t o s h a r e m ybed.”(Agamemnon)

Pericles(FuneralOration)

“Allthesame,thoseofyouwhoareoftherightagemustbearupandtakecomfortinthethoughtofhavingmorechildren.Inyourownhomesthesenewchildrenwillpreventyoufrombroodingoverthosewhoarenomore,andtheywillbeahelptothecity,too,bothinfillingtheemptyplaces,andinassuringhersecurity.”(44)

A Dangerous Community to be Silenced? Pericles•  “PerhapsIshouldsayawordortwoonthedutiesofwomentothoseamongyouwhoarenowwidowed.IcansayallIhavetosayinashortwordofadvice.YourgreatgloryisnottobeinferiortowhatGodhasmadeyou,andthegreatestgloryofawomanistobeleasttalkedaboutbymen,whethertheyarepraisingyouorcriticizingyou.”(46)

Lysistrata…Alwaystillnowwehavecontrolledourfeelingsanduncomplaininglyenduredwhateveryoumendid-andinanycaseyouwouldn’tletussayaword.Butdon’tthinkweapproved!Weknoweverythingyouwereupto.…we’dbeinwardlyingreatdistressbutwe’dhavetoputasmileandaskyou:‘IntheAssemblytoday,whatdidyoudecidetoinscribeonthestoneunderneaththePeaceTreaty?’Andwhatdidmyhusbandalwayssay?‘shutupandmindyourownbusiness!’AndIdid.

The Polis and the Oikos

TheAcropolis Penelope

A political satire; A reversal of social order

•  ThePolis•  Spaceoffreemen•  Equalityofcitizens• PoliticaldecisionsChorusofoldmen:

“They’veseizedourownAcropolis”(263)

•  TheOikos•  Spaceofwomen:family,family’sproperty,house

•  Servantsandslaves•  TextileproductionLysistrata:TheCitadelofAthenaisnowinthewomen’shands.(242)

Magistrate:Anyway,howdoyoucometohavetakenaninterestinmattersofwarandpeace?(506-507)Lysistrata:…‘Backtoyourspinning,woman,oryou’llhaveaheadacheforamonth.Letwarbethecareofthemenfolk’(507-521)

The Oikos “Hervoicerangoutintears,butthewifeofHectorHadnotheardathing.NomessengerbroughtthetruthOfhowherhusbandmadehisstandoutsidethegates.Shewasweavingatherloom,deepinhighhall,Workingfloweredbraidingintoadarkredfoldingrobe.Andshecalledherwell-kemptwomenthroughthehouseTosetalargethree-leggedcauldronoverthefireSoHectorcouldhavehissteaminghotbathWhenhecamehomefrombattle—poorwoman”(TheIliad,B.22;line514-522)

The oath: Who is depicted? IwillnotalloweitherloverorhusbandToapproachme‘nastateoferectionAndIwillliveathomeinunsulliedchastityWearingmysaffrongownandmysexiestmake-upToinflamemyhusband’sardourButIwillneverwillinglyyieldmyselftohimAndshouldherapemebyforceagainstmywillIwillsubmitpassivelyandwillnotthrustback.Iwillnotraisemyslipperstowardstheceiling.Iwillnotadoptthelioness-on-a-cheesegraterposition.IfIabidebythisoath,myIdrinkfromthiscup.ButifIbreakit,maythecupbefilledwithwater.

Hetairai: courtesans; educated; symposium

Peace? Who is the real Enemy?

•  “Youworshipthesamegodsatthesameshrines,Usethesamelustralwater,justasifYouwereasinglefamily-atOlympia,Delphi,Thermopylae-howmanymoreAndyet,thoughthreatenedbybarbarianfoes,YouruinGreece’stownsandslayhermen.”

Questions:

• Aretheotherwomeneasilyconvincedtoengageinasexstrike?Dotheyabidetotheoath?

• WhatisthebasisofLysistrata’sknowledgeofpolitics?Cantheoikosserveasaresourceinformulatingapoliticalvision?

• Whatkindofsexiststereotypesaremenvoicing?