Essay On Lysistrata

The twenty-first century has been one of the most progressive times for women’s success. Women have recently made their presence known in the workforce; in fact, they have integrated themselves into every aspect of American culture. It is not uncommon to see female role models in politics; take Hillary Clinton, the first woman to be elected by a major party, as an example. She accomplished the win of the popular vote, despite her defeat in the 2016 Presidential Election. This event was huge for women all over the country; it reiterated the fact that women could stand as an equal with men. Aristophanes’ comic playwright Lysistrata delves into this issue of feminism. The main character, Lysistrata, convinces women from both sides to boycott sex

The boycott proved to be successful; the men gave in and voted for peace, which ultimately ended the war. As a feminist work, Lysistrata shows that men have implicit anxieties towards women: that if a woman is put into a position of power, they are potentially dangerous and a threat to male dominance. From this literary work, it can be concluded through the interactions between Lysistrata and the male characters that these anxieties are well justified; for women, when given the opportunity, are equally as--if not more--capable of completing the same responsibilities as men.

In the play, Aristophanes intentionally writes the men as juvenile boys and writes the women in a better light. This is shown in the scene between Lysistrata and the Commissioner. After some convincing, the Commissioner finally gives Lysistrata a chance to express her reasons for taking over the treasury of Akropolis. Lysistrata argues that after sitting back and listening to all of the horrible battle strategies that their husbands have come up with, the women have decided to “rescue” Greece (lines 440-445). Lysistrata is short and concise in her discussion with the Commissioner. He, on the other hand, is the opposite. He responds with snide