Introduction

Originally performed in Athens in 411 BCE, Aristophanes’s play, Lysistrata, tells of the bold efforts of women to end the Peloponnesian War. Led by Lysistrata, whose name means “Army Disbander,” the women of various cities, including Sparta and Thebes, withhold sex from the men in order to bring the war to a close. In a style that breaks from the previous comedic play of Aristophanes, this play is a comedy with deep socio-political resonance. Linking the desire for sex and war, this is one of the earliest articulations of the role of sex in a male-dominated (which is to say patriarchal) society. Greek plays are not just about entertainment; they are invitations to the audience to discuss political events. In this respect, the play enters the political discourse and becomes as influential as the speeches and rhetoric of the politicians themselves. Do we have a corollary today? Are there films, television shows, music, podcasts, comedians, or YouTube channels that masquerade as entertainment, but are actively engaging with current political discourse?

Consider that Greek comedies usually dealt with the absurd and the impossible. In this sense, the idea that women could withhold sex and change men’s minds through such an action is rather implausible—not least because Greek men had a variety of venues to appease their sexual desire. Nevertheless, even the perceived impossible can still shape the political discourse of the time. This type of literature/drama/art offers a new and different avenue to the discussion of the purpose of war and the toll it takes on society. Two years before the play’s first performance, Athens had suffered a catastrophic defeat against Sparta and these wounds were still raw for the Athenian audience. There are many ways to discuss the effects of war on society and Aristophanes chooses to introduce women into the socio-cultural dialogue—as absurd as it may seem to the Greeks. In our current moment, we might consider not only the role women play in our political discussions, but the types of power and action women take to have their voice heard or directly affect political change—one need only look to AOC’s twitter feed. Similarly, consider a comparison to Euripides, what might be the civic function of Aristophanes’s play vis-à-vis comedy? How might stereotypes function in the play? What types of stereotypes does Aristophanes deploy and what meaning do they hold? On a more contemporary note, how are current women utilizing and wielding power in non-traditional or unorthodox ways?

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