For use by any theatrical, educational or cinematic organisation, however, including a non-commercial one, permission must be sought. This work may be freely reproduced, stored and transmitted, electronically or otherwise, for any NON-COMMERCIAL purpose. Thus, Lysistrata: undoer, disbander of armies. GradeSaver, 7 September 2022 Web.Lysistrata: From λύω (lyo) to loosen, to undo, to disband and στρατός (stratos) army. Next Section Old Comedy Previous Section Irony Buy Study Guide How To Cite in MLA Format GradeSaver 'Lysistrata Imagery'. Both Cinesias and the Spartan herald enter the stage with large and noticeable erections which represent their overwhelming lust. ErectionĪfter being denied sex, the men begin to become sexually frustrated and this is signaled by the description of various men walking around the city with erections and looking for their wives to provide them with relief. The concept of peace is brought to life by this image of the naked woman, as indeed, sex has been the women's main bargaining tool. 'Peace'Īt the end of the play, Lysistrata enters for the peace talks accompanied by a naked, walking statue that she refers to as 'Peace.' During the talks, the men ogle at Peace, seemingly motivated not by their desire for peace in Greece, but by their desire to have sex with this woman named Peace. While the men want to fight with fire, which represents their lust, the women want to put that fire out, which symbolizes their refusal to succumb to sexual desire.

This image theatricalizes and literalizes the struggle between the men and the women. Meanwhile, the women carry buckets of cold water, which they use to throw on the men. The male chorus-members are all carrying torches and they are ready to burn down the gate to the Acropolis in order to gain access. In Chorus 1, the male chorus and the female chorus meet.

This first scene presents the audience with an image of an all-female foreign policy meeting, an astounding gathering of all the women of Greece in one place. It is a striking image in that the women who arrive to discuss the issue are representative of the many city-states contained within Greece. The first scene stages a group of all the women of Greece gathering to discuss their ability as a group to stop the war using their sexuality.

Cinesias lysistrata