Counter Examples Is Lysistrata
Justin Williams
Section 001
Parody Through Counter Examples
Counter examples are used throughout this play, and is a key role in the parody of the play. On both male and female sides of the dynamics in the play the first one is right from the start. “the streets are absolutely clogged with frantic females banging on tambourines. No urging for an orgy!” (727) In the “Classical Age” of Athens upperclass women assumed the role of a housewife, where their duties were to either clean up the house or organize the slaves of the house to do it for them. It was unheard of for women to be out in the streets like this period much less at night. The women of Athens formed together to plot against the men to bring them home from the war. As the women were gathering to plan against the men, Lysistrata said, “I'm on fire right down to the bone. I'm positively ashamed to be a woman—a member of a sex which can't even live up to male slanders! To hear our husbands talk, we're sly: deceitful, always plotting, monsters of intrigue...”(728) this quote makes me laugh, because while she is saying this her and multiple women are plotting a way to get back at the men. This quote plays off the stereotype that a woman is always out to make a mans life miserable in everything they do, but this is exactly the thing they are trying to do. While the women are out in the streets they continue to show how ridiculous they are when they are complaining on how much they do for their men. This quote by Kleonike is a prime example, “They'll be here. You know a woman's way is hard mainly the way out of the house: fuss over hubby, wake the maid up, put the baby down, bathe him, feed him...” (728) Kleonike goes on and on about how much work they have to do, but she mentions that she gets up the maid, which does the work for her. This quote plays of the stereotype that women do a lot of house work, but in the play they have maids so obviously they are not doing too much. Counter examples are a
Section 001
Parody Through Counter Examples
Counter examples are used throughout this play, and is a key role in the parody of the play. On both male and female sides of the dynamics in the play the first one is right from the start. “the streets are absolutely clogged with frantic females banging on tambourines. No urging for an orgy!” (727) In the “Classical Age” of Athens upperclass women assumed the role of a housewife, where their duties were to either clean up the house or organize the slaves of the house to do it for them. It was unheard of for women to be out in the streets like this period much less at night. The women of Athens formed together to plot against the men to bring them home from the war. As the women were gathering to plan against the men, Lysistrata said, “I'm on fire right down to the bone. I'm positively ashamed to be a woman—a member of a sex which can't even live up to male slanders! To hear our husbands talk, we're sly: deceitful, always plotting, monsters of intrigue...”(728) this quote makes me laugh, because while she is saying this her and multiple women are plotting a way to get back at the men. This quote plays off the stereotype that a woman is always out to make a mans life miserable in everything they do, but this is exactly the thing they are trying to do. While the women are out in the streets they continue to show how ridiculous they are when they are complaining on how much they do for their men. This quote by Kleonike is a prime example, “They'll be here. You know a woman's way is hard mainly the way out of the house: fuss over hubby, wake the maid up, put the baby down, bathe him, feed him...” (728) Kleonike goes on and on about how much work they have to do, but she mentions that she gets up the maid, which does the work for her. This quote plays of the stereotype that women do a lot of house work, but in the play they have maids so obviously they are not doing too much. Counter examples are a