aristophanes, lysistrata - boun.edu.tr...aristophanes (446-386), lysistrata lysistrata (“disbander...
TRANSCRIPT
Aristophanes, Lysistrata PartI
SandrineBertauxAssistantProfessorofHumanities
The Political Context of Lysistrata
• 421PeaceofNicias• 415ExpeditionofSicily–destroyed(413)• SpartaseizesandfortifiesapermanentbaseafewmilesfromAthens(AtheniangeneralAlcibiadesadvisingtheSpartans).
• 411Lysistratafirstperformed• Summer411:acoup:OligarchyoftheFourHundred,thenFiveThousand.
• DariusIIbacksSparta-404Athenssurrenders.
Aristophanes (446-386), Lysistrata
Lysistrata(“disbanderofarmies”),anAthenianwoman,organizesasecretconferenceatwhichshepersuades,notonlyotherwivesofAthens,butrepresentativesfromthewivesoftheotherbelligerentcitiesofthePeloponnesianwar,includingonefromSparta,toswearanoaththattheywilldenysexualintercoursetotheirhusbandsandloversuntilthemenagreetoendthewarandmakepeace.Inthemeantime,someAthenianwomenoccupytheAcropoliswherethetreasuryis,andblockitsaccesstomenwhoneedittocontinuethewar.Lysistrata’splansucceeds:AthenianandSpartanmen(desperatetohavesex)agreetomakepeace.
Is Lysistrata an anti-war play? Is it a feminist play? Does it give women a voice?
And what is so comic anyway?? Amanasks,“God,whydidyoumakewomansobeautiful?”Godresponded,”Soyouwouldloveher.”Themanasks,“ButGod,whydidyoumakehersodumb?”Godreplied,“Soshewouldloveyou.”
Q:IsGooglemaleorfemale?A:Female,becauseitdoesn'tletyoufinishasentencebeforemakingasuggestion.
Can a comic character be a hero? Is Lysistrata a heroine?
Aristotle on Tragedy and Comedy as genres (Poetics) Tragedy• Aboutserious,importantandvirtuouscharacters;
• Toarouseemotionsofpityandfear;
• tragedy’saimisthecatharsiseffect(tragicpleasure)ofsuchemotionsontheaudience
ComedyLostpartofthemanuscriptbut:Aboutweaknesses,humanbeingsworstthanourselves;Festiveandsexualjokesanddisplay(phallus)
Theatre: A Political Institution
• Theatre,encounterofepicandtragedy,“revolutionaryinvention”ofAthens
• ImportanceofspeechinAthens• Influenceonpublicopinion
Dionysos, God of Theatre and…wine
City Dionysia and Lenaia (Dionysos Lenaios) • theatre:apublicaffair,state-sponsored.• PerformanceofAthenianplays:overseveraldaysatannualreligiousfestivals.
• Lysistrataperformedin411attheLenaiafestival.
Lysistrata:“JustthinkifithadbeenaBacchiccelebrationthey’dbeenaskedtoattend…Youwouldn’thavebeenabletomoveforallthetambourines.”(1)
• Acontest..ofChoruses:Lysistrata:2choruses(exceptional):theybecomeone,dancesandsingsonstage.
• First-rateactorswereassignedbylotterytoplaywrights;limitsofthenumberofactorsto4incomedies;
• Prizesawardedtoauthors,actors,andproducersmodest;butitdoesbringenormousfame;
• Actors,andchorus,areonlymale;audience:women,men,slaves…
Grotesque costumes, paunches, large leather phallus(male characters)
.. Save for women and some male characters (the Magistrate; Scythian policemen) Lysistrata:Welcome,Lampito,mybelovedSpartanfriend!Sweetheart,howabsolutelyravishingyoulook!Suchbeautıfulcolour,suchripplingmuscles!Why,Ibetyoucouldthrottleabull.(79-82)
Rigid masks: Calonice to L: Don’t screw your face like that (7)
Theatre of Dionysos
War and Women WarPrizes(Homer,TheIliad)“Thegirl- Iwon’tgiveupthegirl.Longbeforethat,Old age will overtake her in myhouse,inArgos,Far from her fatherland, slavingback and forth at the loom,f o r c e d t o s h a r e m ybed.”(Agamemnon)
Pericles(FuneralOration)
“Allthesame,thoseofyouwhoareoftherightagemustbearupandtakecomfortinthethoughtofhavingmorechildren.Inyourownhomesthesenewchildrenwillpreventyoufrombroodingoverthosewhoarenomore,andtheywillbeahelptothecity,too,bothinfillingtheemptyplaces,andinassuringhersecurity.”(44)
A Dangerous Community to be Silenced? Pericles• “PerhapsIshouldsayawordortwoonthedutiesofwomentothoseamongyouwhoarenowwidowed.IcansayallIhavetosayinashortwordofadvice.YourgreatgloryisnottobeinferiortowhatGodhasmadeyou,andthegreatestgloryofawomanistobeleasttalkedaboutbymen,whethertheyarepraisingyouorcriticizingyou.”(46)
Lysistrata…Alwaystillnowwehavecontrolledourfeelingsanduncomplaininglyenduredwhateveryoumendid-andinanycaseyouwouldn’tletussayaword.Butdon’tthinkweapproved!Weknoweverythingyouwereupto.…we’dbeinwardlyingreatdistressbutwe’dhavetoputasmileandaskyou:‘IntheAssemblytoday,whatdidyoudecidetoinscribeonthestoneunderneaththePeaceTreaty?’Andwhatdidmyhusbandalwayssay?‘shutupandmindyourownbusiness!’AndIdid.
The Polis and the Oikos
TheAcropolis Penelope
A political satire; A reversal of social order
• ThePolis• Spaceoffreemen• Equalityofcitizens• PoliticaldecisionsChorusofoldmen:
“They’veseizedourownAcropolis”(263)
• TheOikos• Spaceofwomen:family,family’sproperty,house
• Servantsandslaves• TextileproductionLysistrata:TheCitadelofAthenaisnowinthewomen’shands.(242)
Magistrate:Anyway,howdoyoucometohavetakenaninterestinmattersofwarandpeace?(506-507)Lysistrata:…‘Backtoyourspinning,woman,oryou’llhaveaheadacheforamonth.Letwarbethecareofthemenfolk’(507-521)
The Oikos “Hervoicerangoutintears,butthewifeofHectorHadnotheardathing.NomessengerbroughtthetruthOfhowherhusbandmadehisstandoutsidethegates.Shewasweavingatherloom,deepinhighhall,Workingfloweredbraidingintoadarkredfoldingrobe.Andshecalledherwell-kemptwomenthroughthehouseTosetalargethree-leggedcauldronoverthefireSoHectorcouldhavehissteaminghotbathWhenhecamehomefrombattle—poorwoman”(TheIliad,B.22;line514-522)
The oath: Who is depicted? IwillnotalloweitherloverorhusbandToapproachme‘nastateoferectionAndIwillliveathomeinunsulliedchastityWearingmysaffrongownandmysexiestmake-upToinflamemyhusband’sardourButIwillneverwillinglyyieldmyselftohimAndshouldherapemebyforceagainstmywillIwillsubmitpassivelyandwillnotthrustback.Iwillnotraisemyslipperstowardstheceiling.Iwillnotadoptthelioness-on-a-cheesegraterposition.IfIabidebythisoath,myIdrinkfromthiscup.ButifIbreakit,maythecupbefilledwithwater.
Hetairai: courtesans; educated; symposium
Peace? Who is the real Enemy?
• “Youworshipthesamegodsatthesameshrines,Usethesamelustralwater,justasifYouwereasinglefamily-atOlympia,Delphi,Thermopylae-howmanymoreAndyet,thoughthreatenedbybarbarianfoes,YouruinGreece’stownsandslayhermen.”
Questions:
• Aretheotherwomeneasilyconvincedtoengageinasexstrike?Dotheyabidetotheoath?
• WhatisthebasisofLysistrata’sknowledgeofpolitics?Cantheoikosserveasaresourceinformulatingapoliticalvision?
• Whatkindofsexiststereotypesaremenvoicing?