Lysistrata Conclusion (Final Thoughts)

Overall I think Lysistrata is a good play, but there is still a lot of things I'm confused about in the play. Despite that it was a good play and I thought it was better than Hedda Gabler. At the end of Lysistrata an agreement is made between Athens and Sparta which ends the war in Greece. The men basically couldn't go any longer without their women which means Lysistrata's plan was successful. I still don't feel that the women are equal to the men in the play because it seems like they only agreed because they wanted to have sex again and not because the women are equal to them. Anyways Lysistrata united Greece like she wanted to do and the war is over.

Lysistrata Vs. Hedda Gabler & Bernarda Alba

Out of all three plays I would still have to say that the House of Bernarda Alba was still my favorite. It seemed like the only play that keep me interested through the whole read. Lysistrata was still a good play to me and I liked it better than Hedda because Hedda didn't have enough action to it. Hedda had a lot of unnecessary talking and lots of boring scenes and I prefer Lysistrata over Hedda because it was comical and you could find more action in here than in Hedda. I would also add that Lysistrata is the only character out of the three plays who has the most success because she unites Greece while Hedda kills herself and Bernarda losses a daughter.

Would Another Plan Work?

If Lysistrata's plan didn't work or was never tried could another plan end the war? In my opinion I don't think so because from the play you can clearly see that most of Greece's culture revolves around sex. Besides sex the women really couldn't do anything else to persuade the men because most of them could barely agree to remain abstinent and thats a easier way to end the war rather than fighting. Lysistrata knew that the men were driven to sex and therefore the plan was a success.

Language in Lysistrata?

I noticed in the play that the Spartans have a different dialect than the Athenians. The Athenians have a more proper way of speaking while the Spartans talk as if they are country. I think they are potrayed to speak like this because it might symbolize that they are not intelligent. It could also symbolize the differences in culture between the Athenians and the Spartans through the language.

Why Lysistrata?

What makes Lysistrata different from the other women in Greece and why is she the one who organizes the revolts? It's clear to me in the beginning of the play that Lysistrata is sick and tired of war and the treatment of women in Athens. Lysistrata is the least feminine woman in the play and her masculinity helps her gain respect among the men. Lysistrata seems to be the only woman who is not controlled by sex like the other women. Basically Lysistrata is the woman who organizes everything because she stays focus on what she needs to do.

Why Does Lysistrata Gather Women From Everywhere?

If Lysistrata would not have gathered women from everwhere would her plan had worked? I believe that Lysistrata gathers women from all over because she wants all the women to reform and stop the war not just the women in her area. Lysistrata needs the women of both Athens and Sparta to help unite all of Greece and she needs her influence to spread. Her plan won't work if she has only one group of women from one city trying to unite the whole country.

Kinesias

I think it's somewhat clear that Kinesias is used as a prime example in the play for males. First Kinesias is used as the unhappy target of the women's sex strike and is tricked and fooled by his wife Myrrhine. Kinesias proves himself to be an idiot and a poor father and represents the stereotypical dumb male figure. Kinesias only seeks his wife for sex and he is unable to care for his own children and is outwitted by his playful wife. I believe that is what makes Kinesias an important character because of his representation of males.

Significance of the Akropolis

I know that the women were taking over Akropolis because Lysistrata wanted it to be seized by women later in the day to prevent the Athenians from using the money from the treasury for the war. I think that taking over the Akropolis had a bigger meaning to it. The simple fact that the women were taking over this huge monument structure shows the power the women gained from this. Taking over the Akropolis proved that the women can step out of their stereotypical roles of women and over power the men.

Roles of the Chorus of Old Men & Chorus of Old Women

Even though Lysistrata is the main character I believe that the chorus of men and women are just as important. The chorus of men and women are suppose to be old and fragile, have reaches their prime age, and little sexual tension between them. Even though the chorus of women are old they prove to be useful in the play because they are not tempted by the men and they take and defend the Akropolis. Also the chorus link between the men and women because when they fight the choruses also fight an dwhen peace is declared the choruses join together.

Lysistrata's Plan

Overall I think Lysistrata's plan was successful because the men were driven by sex and it eventually caused them to reach an agreement with the women. The hardest thing for Lysistrata was convincing the women to agree to remain abstinence. Lysistrata wants the women to step out of their stereotypical roles as women to help end the war in Greece. Lysistrata seems to be the only woman in the play who understands the big picture of her plan to end the war.