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Lysistrata - Coggle Diagram
Lysistrata
Gender
Aristophanes reverses the roles in this play, by making the women have masculine qualities
the men are worried they will become 'adept at every manly art' like building ships, and ramming them like 'artemisia did'
this reflects the historical context, of a society decimated by military loss, in which most young men were killed at Sicily
it is a comedic extreme to have the women dominate this plot, there is 'not one' man in the country
how women have suffered
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however, they suffer by sending those sons off to war, and being 'left at home like widows'
this represents how war affects every strata of society, not just the dead men
how women are valuable
the collaboration of Lysistrata and Lampito to make peace shows how women could complete what men couldnt
although this peace is impossible and far-fetched, it reflects a past in which this could have been possible
this makes a comedy out of the political situation in Athens, which was failing
ending
when peace is procured at the end of the play, the women have an insignificant role
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At the end of the play the females revert to their previous subordinate status as official peace is only final through the involvement of men
although, the inclusion of women would not have been shocking, because Crates had included female characters
protagonist
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generally agreed that Aristophanes did not intend to directly invoke this figure, just the sector of society she represents
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builds a strong association between Lysistrata, Athena, and the acropolis, which is of course the parallel plot
makes the outcome of the play seem less like an unruly rebellion, and more like the righteous completion of Athena's will
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comical
lysistrata is quite uncomical, as she does not make her own sexual innuendos as the other women do
Peace
presented as desirable, embodied by Aristophanes' creation of Reconciliation, a nude female
the men point out parts of Reconciliation's body and liken them to Greek territories, she is used as a human map
of course shows the innate objectification and sexualisation of women, and that women in athens had not achieved power even after staging such a plot
this is therefore not a serious solution to the problem of peace, Aristophanes is not advocating for gender equality
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may have been visually comical, with a man in a female body suit
Acropolis
equally important to the sex-strike is the occupation of the acropolis, which housed the Athenian treasury
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Cleomenes
the male chorus speak of a past time the acropolis was occupied, by Cleomenes I in 508BC
he came to support the oligarchy of Isagoras against Cleistehenes, but popular opposition forced him into the acropolis for two days before he surrendered
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while the sex-plot is played for laughs, the acropolis seizure is serious
Iron reserve
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but in 412, the situation seemed so dire that this reserve had to be used
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Choruses
proboulos
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the chorus attempt to set fire to the gates of the acropolis under the deluded impression that they are doing a noble deed for Athens by trying to take back the acropolis
reflects Xerxes' sack of Athens 480BC, so aligns this chorus with the enemy
outlines the political failure of Athenian military strategy which acts against achieving peace for Athens
Aristophanes uses a Spartan character as a mouthpiece for this view: 'may all cunning foxes cease to jeopardize oor peace!"
directly referencing the political issue of the self-seeking politicians working against the city and their inability to contract a peace agreement in the past
although at the time this play was written, peace was not an option because Athens was doing so poorly militarily, so this is retrospective and perhaps a longing for the past
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