Lysistrata (2003, Hackett Publishing Company) - Book Report/Review Example

In Lysistrata, the main subject revolves around the rise of feminism. An interesting thing to note about the play’s context in history is that back then, there were no female actors, and that men played both roles. As such, it was mainly meant to empower women. In the light of this, the following analysis, reviews the play, revealing its suitability as an appropriate work that addressed the problem of gender disparity and war for its intended audience. Lysistrata plans a meeting for all the women of Greece.

She plans on finding a way to end the war. During the meeting, she curses at the women by calling them weak. She plans to make the women from both sides to deny their men sex until they agreed on signing a treaty to end the war. The older women are also directed to seize the Akropolis so no fighting can occur. The men try to smoke the women out of the Akropolis but the women pour water on their fires. They also overpower the policemen. Lysistrata tells the Commissioner of Athens that they no longer have husbands as they all take part in the war.

The sex boycott takes effect and men such as Kineasis and Spartan feel the pinch of unsatisfied erections. At the end, they can no longer hold it and give into signing a peace treaty. The play ends in a song of unity by both men and women as they celebrate peace and granting of their rights1. Lysistrata was influenced by the 431 to 404 BC Peloponnesian War fought by the empire of Athens against the Sparta-led Peloponnesian League. The war was driven by the need to control supremacy in Greece by either side.

In turn, it makes sense that Aristophanes was motivated to create the play by the Peloponnesian War, since he lived through its time. More importantly, the play indicates the potential purpose he intended it for, and that was stopping the war. The main conflict in the story is that the states were in constant fighting. In the play, the