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Lysistrata Aristophanes | Summary & Characterization | Neb English Notes
Lysistrata Aristophanes
ABOUT AUTHOR
Lysistrata Aristophanes
Aristophanes lived in ancient Greece, while Socrates and Thucydides were still alive. Aristophanes had written at least forty plays, but in modern times, we only find eleven. Actually, all his plays were performed in ancient Greek in the open air during the day. The stage was a circular dance floor, and the audience occupied half of the stage. His actors often wore masks while performing the drama. There were no female actors in his time, and men even played the role of women.
The present play, Lysistrata, is based on the Peloponnesian War. In the play, he creates a character named Lysistrata who longs to bring eternal peace to ancient Greece.
In this play, Aristophanes suggests that if the women united to dissolve the war, they would achieve certain success. So, in this play, he shows the peaceful nature of women and the destructive nature of men.
BACKGROUND OF THE PLAY
Lysistrata Aristophanes
During the 500s B.C., the Persian Empire expanded rapidly and conquered many Greek states. Later, these city-states rebelled against their Persian rules. The Athenian army was very few in comparison with the Persians; however, they defeated the Persian Army at the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. because the Athenian Army was fighting for the sake of the nation, whereas in the Persian army, there was the involvement of troops.
Later, in 480 B.C., the Persians tried to invade Greek states again. At that time, many of the Greek states united under Sparta's leadership to fight against invaders. The Persians were again defeated by Greek forces.
The same victory over the Persians sowed the seed of conflict between Athens and Sparta. In 477 B.C., Athens organised an alliance called the Deleon League. In the Deleon League, Asia's minor city-states were its members. On the other hand, Sparta led the Peloponnesian League. Athens was the strongest Athenian naval power in ancient Greece, while Sparta was the strongest land-based power. The two Greek city-states struggled for dominance over the Greek city-state during the 400s B.C. Later, the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) declared war against the Deleon League (led by Athens). That destructive war between Athens and Sparta lasted until the 400s BC, and in that war, Sparta won victory over Athens. Then Sparta started dominating the Greek world, but there was still fighting among the city-states, so later, Thebes defeated Sparta in 371 BC.
This is the history of conflict among ancient Greek city-states. Though among the Greek city-states they had a common heritage in terms of culture, religion, language, and habits, they fought for the sake of exercising their power. Later, their civil war ended when Macedonian King Philip II conquered it in 338 BC.
The background of the play, Lysistrata, is based on the Peloponnesian War, in which many Greek city-states fought each other. Actually, the Peloponnesian war was between Deleon and the Peloponnesian League. Through this play, Aristophanes creates a character. Lysistrata aimed to unite Greek states.
CAPTERWISE SUMMARY
Lysistrata Aristophanes
Prologue
Lysistrata had called all the women of Greece for a special meeting. But the women did not come on time. So she is in an angry mood. Lysistrata wants to save Greece from destruction by uniting all women. She is determined to stop the Greek city-state war. When all the Greek women arrive there, she orders them to do a sex strike with their husbands, who had been fighting in the war. So she says:
"Then we must give up going to bed with our men." At first, women are not willing to follow her proposal, but later on, they accept and take the oath in the Delphi temple, offering wine. It is also not
Scene I
In scene 1, women are heading towards the Acropolis because it was the place of the treasury. So, they want to capture it because they think that if they capture the treasure in Greek, the war would be stopped due to a lack of capital. When women were going towards the Acropolis, the commissioner asked their reason for coming there. So, he asks:
"Why did you cross the gates of Acropolis?"
In her response to the commissioner, Lysistrata says that they want to seize the Treasury so that war will be stopped. Here comes the theme of no money and no war.
Scene II
In this scene, women start controlling their husband's sexual needs as a protest. Like men, women are also suffering from these basic needs. They seem to be breaking their oath. So, Lysistrata, again inviting a meeting, persuades them to continue their sex strike until they get the expected result.
Scene III
Myrrhine was the one who took an oath to sex strike along with other women. When Myrrhine's husband, Kinesias, comes home from the battlefield, he has a sex erection and persuades Myrrhine to delete his sexual passion for sleeping with him. But Myrrhine denies having sexual intercourse unless the war is stopped. But her husband tells her that the war will be stopped very soon. But she does not have sexual intercourse because Lystratra has said that they can give their husband everything except intercourse.
So, she refuses her husband's passion for remembering Lystratra's words.
Lysistrata has said:
"Give him everything - kissing, tickling, nudging - except what we swore on the wine, which we would not give."
Scene IV
Whoever has returned from war for the home in their leave is in a desperate mood because their biological needs are controlled by their wife. So, there is a drought in sex.
Scene V
Finally, men decided to leave the bloody war for the sake of having physical intercourse with their women. Then, all the male warriors obey Lysistrata's proposal to end the war.
Exodus
Then all men and women seem to be happy, and their happiness changes with their dancing.
CHARACTERIZATION
Lysistrata Aristophanes
Lysistrata
She loves peace and opposes the war. She is an Athenian woman. Lysistrata gathers women from Sparta and Athens to end the civil war.
Myrrhine
If Lysistrata is the first strong-hearted woman in the play, Myrrhine is the second. Myrrhine accepts Lysistrata's proposal, but sex strikes at the last minute. When her husband returned home from a war on his leave, he wanted to delete his biological needs. But Myrrhine did not break her oath, which she had taken with other women in the temple of Dionysius.
Kinesias
He is the husband of Myrrhine. Myrrhine calls Kinesia a needy and desperate clown. Kinesias, in the play, is the first man to be affected by the sex strike.
Chorus
There are two types of chorus: a) the chorus of old men, and b) the chorus of old women.
a) The Chorus of Old Men
The chorus of old men is the first to appear on stage, carrying wood and fire to the gates of the Akropolis. The chorus of old men is made up of 12 old men.
b) The chorus of old women
At first, the chorus of old women seizes Akropolish and then protects it from the chorus of old men. The chorus of old women seems to be fighting with the chorus of old men, and at last, they got victory over the chorus of old men.
Commissioner of Public Safety
The Commissioner of Public Safety is the head of security, and he orders his policemen to arrest Lysistrata and other women when they are going to capture Akropolish treasure. But he is completely defeated by the women. Lysistrata has a lengthy conversation with the commissioner about the future of Athens.
THEMES OF THE PLAY
Lysistrata Aristophanes
1) Conflict between sexes
2) Futility of power
3) Sex-striking
4). A political play based on the Peloponnesian War.
5) Patriotism.
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