Lysistrata

Lysistrata is one of the most popular Ancient Greek comedies by the author Aristophanes. The story surrounds the title character Lysistrata as she decides she wants to see an end to the Peloponnesian War. She comes up with a plan to rally all of the women to conclude the war and bring the men home. This site is dedicated to the character of Lysistrata.

Lysistrata: The Character

Who is Lysistrata, the Character?

Lysistrata is a woman who examines the world around her. She sees lives passing by as the men are out to war and the women are left only to themselves. Lysistrata wants to bring the men home and restore a more normal life between the men and women of Greece. She is a leader who comes up with a plan that will only work if she can get the entire cooperation of all the women in Greece. The effective leader inside her is proven when she guides all the women to withhold sex from the males.

Is Lysistrata a Feminist?

I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer to this question. Many would say that her character shows that a woman can lead and be effective by playing on the same level as men. On the other hand Lysistrata is also trying to re-establish Patriarchy by bringing the males into the home, and eventually conceeding any gains they may have achieved during the story.

Does Lysistrata Still Apply to us Now?

Yes, her character still reaches out to us today. Just ask the people of the Lysistrata Project. You can find the link in the links section of the site. The times may have changed, but the basic patriarchy and male/female relations haven't. In her book, Women and International Peackeeping, Mary-Jane Fox writes, "[…] both of these plays (Lysistrata & Antigone) speak to us over the centuries because of their universal appeal - they are known and read not only because they survived […], but most importantly, the contents of both plays have provided us with much food for thought, and as such have proven to be richer than what was perhaps their authors' original intentions. As if it was not bad enough for Aristophanes to be clearly trifling with the sensibilities and conventions of his audience in this play, it is even worse that it is an audience which has changed little in more that two thousand years."