Lysistrata

Lysistrata

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3.82 of 5 stars 3.82  ·  rating details  ·  13,623 ratings  ·  272 reviews
Aristophanes' comic masterpiece of war and sex remains one of the greatest plays ever written. Led by the title character, the women of the warring city-states of Greece agree to withhold sexual favours with their husbands until they agree to cease fighting. The war of the sexes that ensues makes Lysistrata a comedy without peer in the history of theatre.
Paperback, 126 pages
Published March 1st 2003 by Hackett Publishing Company (first published -411)
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Praj
Mar 29, 2013 Praj rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: phanes
It had been quite awhile since I contemplated over any books let alone penning a critical appraisal on Goodreads. It was tough trying to get words out of the overwhelming emotional vortex; an obstinate ketchup bottle ignoring the need of a fried potato for the tangy goodness. So, when Brian suggested a group reading of Lysistrata, I was a bit apprehensive. A Greek playwright crossing the dreaded course of fallen heroic tragedies; even more remorse to my cerebral coma; not a luxurious indulgence...more
Leajk
Nov 21, 2012 Leajk rated it 4 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: men, women, war monglers, pacifists
In the introductory note in my edition a Mr. Crofts mentions that the play "is notorious for its racy, almost pornographic humor". I'd say that this seems to be a bit of an overstatement.

Surely it is not that much more racy than say a William Shakespeare play or for that matter The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights? It is really all talk and no action. Surely we as modern readers can handle that? (And would anyone living in 1994, the date of this edition, really consider this...more
Mike
The Douglass Parker translation is a must read. He captures Aristophanes' audacious sense of humor and hormone-laden anarchy with a rhythmic dialectic filled with clever word play and consistent cultural references - things that seem to be missed too often when a Greek play is reinterpreted in modern English.
Lysistrata is, no doubt, a model for the dominant female characters in today's fiction. She resists subordination by lust, is ready to knock over those who decide to take her by force, and...more
Seth
I hate this book because I got arrested on account of it. I was at the University of Texas' Perry Castaneda Library and it got lost amidst the shuffled stack of books which I dumped into my backpack when I left.

Exiting the library the sensor went off.

Sorry, I forgot to check it out. No big deal, happens all the time.

But the Department of Collegiate Fascism, aka the UTPD, are required to file a report. Bored from arresting 19-year-olds for walking down the street half drunk they show up like it...more
Yuki
Dec 24, 2012 Yuki rated it 2 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: No one--not this Douglass Parker translation.
This modern translation is HORRENDOUS! Got it, the Athenians consider the Spartan Lampito a country bumpkin, but I can not read another line of "Shuckins, whut fer you tweedlin'me up so? I feel like a heifer come fair-time." in this CLASSIC drama. Harumph!

Douglass Parker's footnote for *I calklate so" is "In employing a somewhat debased American mountain dialect to render the Laconic Greek of Lampito and her countrymen, I have tried to evoke something like the Athenian attitude toward their pere...more
Ian Graye
Feb 08, 2013 Ian Graye rated it 3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Ian by: Bird Brian
Lysistrata

Some Greek men, you’ll discover,
Being a lesser lover
Than a renderer of war,
Treat their wives much like a whore.

So one day, Lysistrata,
Equipped with all the data,
Reckoned upon a tactic
To withhold love climactic.

She aimed to end all conflict
With some cohorts she had picked,
To flaunt breasts and nothing hide,
Though, ‘til peace, men were denied.

Males came with their pricks erect,
Revealed for all to inspect,
Still their wives rejected them,
Until war they would condemn.

So the violence did dec...more
Antof9
How entertaining! It wasn't at all what I expected, and I almost laughed out loud at some parts. I couldn't describe it better than the back of the book: "The most famous, bawdy satire of Ancient Greece".

"The women of Greece are weary of the extended war between Athens and Sparta. Led by Lysistrata, they decide to take control of the situation by capturing the Acropolis, seat of Athenian walth, and by going on a sex strike. There is to be no more love-making until peace has been established. Suf...more
Brian Schiebout
Lysistrata is a comedy written by the Greek playwright Aristophanes and translated into English by Benjamin Rogers. This play was written during the middle of the Peloponessian War after Sparta had managed to destroy the Athenian fleet at Sicily. As a result certain Athenians including Aristophanes started looking for ways to end this seemingly endless war. As a result Aristophanes wrote this satirical comedy where the women of Greece exercise their great power in order to end the war. What to u...more
Melissa
This comedy, originally written in 411 BC, was banned in 1967 in Greece because of its anti-war message. This modern translation by Douglass Parker breathes new life into the story and makes it accessible for all audiences.

The women in Greece decide that they are tired of their men always being away fighting the Peloponnesian War. One woman, Lysistrata, comes up with a brilliant idea and recruits the rest of the women to take part in her plan. They decide as a group to withhold sex from the men...more
Kelsey Jacobs
This has to be the funniest piece of literature from ancient times. Small wonder, seeing as how most teachers only have a limited amount of time to cram in as much "meaningful" stuff as they can. Still, I wasn't expecting this play to be so damn FUNNY.

The humor translates well to a modern audience, props to Sarah Ruden. My teacher had kept saying throughout the quarter, "Just wait 'til we get to the Lysistrata! I think that there is at least one penis joke on every page! Aren't penises funny?" A...more
John E
I didn't read this addition, but my favorite is the Tim Reynolds interpretation which turned the book into a Civil
War comedy instead of the literal Sparta vs Athens conflict.
The Reynolds version was the father of the Broadway Production
Lysistrata.
Overall, it is very silly, and my favorite Aristophanes Comedy. It's a slight bit too phallic, but I still recommend it, with four stars to all.
Just a suggestion... the Aristophanes play "Lady's Day" would
be GREAT for Broadway!! (Title not accurate, the...more
David Sarkies
Ignoring the crudeness of the play (and remember that Shakespeare himself was quite crude) and the naked men running around with giant erect peni (is that the plural of penis?) what this play seems to be about is the empowerment of women (which is probably why the feminists love it so much). Mind you the only woman in this play that seems to have the willpower to see it through to the end is Lysistrata herself, but then that is probably why she is the leader. In a way it says something about a...more
Ken Moten
Sep 12, 2012 Ken Moten rated it 3 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: Men, Women, ancient Greek misogynist
Shelves: plays
I knew a little bit of the reputation of this book so before I even read it I knew exactly what I was going to say and go at. I was going to talk about the impact this play had on feminist writing and how it brought up important questions in ancient Greece about war and peace, gender equality, and humanity through an (old Greek) comedic lens. (I should also mention that I had just finished reading Antigone, so I was pretty pumped and ready to stand in solidarity with my oppressed women folk and...more
Casey Harvey
The words "ancient greek comedy" might not necessarily be the big seller for most people whose only exposure to ancient greek literature is Sophocle's Oedipus Tyrannus and/or portions of the Iliad or the Odyssey. However, even if you hated these pieces with a passion, no one should underestimate Aristophanes Lysistrata.

A play about women using a sex-strike to stop a war is your first draw-in. What makes you stay, although the plot is interesting enough to tempt me, is the absolutely hysterical...more
James
I really enjoy the way Aristophanes blends profound observations about his warlike and decadent society with outrageous humor that goes from amusing to ribald (to raunchy) in this ultimately farcical play.

I like the bold idealism and shrewd incisiveness of the character Lysistrata and her willingness -- and that of her cohorts -- to vigorously rebuff the foolish men who dare to challenge them (and the amorous ones who yearn to bed them), in order to teach the men how to achieve peace.

I'll admi...more
Dexter
This comedy was very bawdy and hilarious! Very laugh out loud funny. Definitely not for kids, or even high school students, as there is strong adult sexual humor in here. Absolutely brilliant sexual comedy, and probably Aristophanes' most famous comedic play.

This play is a great primary source on sexual relations and the status of women in ancient Greece. Granted, there is a lot that Aristophanes probably left out with regard to "less mainstream" sexual behavior in ancient Greece, but what he wr...more
Christine Orwell
Oh dear god. THIS WAS AWFUL. Couldn't even finish it.

Basic premise: Athenian women are sick or war, so they decide to not have sex with the men until they stop fighting.

The play sounds really interesting and I would love to read it in decent, appropriate language. The problem isn't the play, the problem is that this so-called "modern translation" was just atrocious. Apparently Athenians considered Spartan to be hillbillies, and that's fine. If you want to convey that the Spartan characters are l...more
Adam
Lysistrata by Aristophanes
Final Verdict: 3.5 out of 4.0
YTD: 19

Plot/Story:
3 – Plot/Story is interesting & believable.

How did I miss this one? It had been sitting on my shelf and “TBR” list for far too long. Lysistrata is one of the original “dramadies” – a mixture of dramatic and comedic elements, though this one leans toward the comedic. Still, some of the themes Aristophanes tackles, such as War, Power, and Gender are serious, and have severe implications. Fortunately, Aristophanes writes h...more
Trendhater73: S. Bledsoe
When war is raging what is one to do? Seriously, how can you possibly create peace from such hostile times? Well, make love not war. That's how. "Lysistrata" is unique in the sense that it is an entire play led by female characters. They are tired of their husbands coming home, only to return to war. In order to force peace, the women come together and enact a plan dreamt up by the lead female, Lysistrata. She has decided that the only way to gain peace is by denying all of the men what they des...more
Anne Pride-Wilt
Very dirty, pretty funny, essentially nonsensical. It cracks me up to think the ancient Greeks were cranking out stuff just as bawdy as a lot of what one sees today. But overall, I'm not impressed. The characterization, plot, etc was either absent or didn't make sense. In particular, how does one execute a sex strike when the main complaint is that everyone's husband is off at war? Ah, well. I imagine it was primarily farcical. Basically, I'm digging some of the nascent feminist themes (even if...more
Thomas Skabar
This is Old Comedy in its purest state. It never ceases to amaze me that something over 2000 years old can be so poignant, so humorous and so relevant in contemporary society.. It also never ceases to amaze me when I use 'poignant' in a sentence. But in all seriousness, it is incredible to read this and see that sex and war dominated the media in 400 BC in much the same way they do today.

In "Lysistrata", the women of Greece convene to conceive a resolution to the Peloponnesian War. Their plan?...more
Jenn
The play itself receives four stars from me; however, this particular translation would be more like a one and a half. I can't remember for the life of me who the translator was for the version I originally read, but it was thoroughly enjoyable. This one, on the other hand, was something I had to force myself to get through. The attempt at using "hip" phrases was a failure, in my opinion, and I don't understand why Lampito had to have what can only be described as a hick/hillbilly accent. Some o...more
Maria E
An interesting comedic look at how women could end war. The translation I had was pretty raunchy but the topic lent itself to being racy. Aristophanes was known for his fantasy settings and this is definitely fantasy but as with all good fantasy there is a tinge of reality. Lysistrata has to work to get all the women to agree with the plan. Mainly because unlike the stereotype of the virtuous woman, the women are upset about the duration of the war partially because the men haven't been home.
It...more
Niko
Look, Shakespeare is not inaccessible, and Aristophanes is not incomprehensible. It's the ideas, tongue-in-cheeck commentary, and culture that defines the context and accent of the passages. Language is a reflection of culture, and this shines brightly in Lysistrata.

Early on, Lysistrata is conferring with the female population, and it comes time to make a binding oath. But on what? On the entrails of a white horse? The blood of another animal? And here's a gem you can catch, if you know how to r...more
Shpow
I know this play is ment to be a comedic tale of female enpowerment, and is all about the feminist statement, but I don't feel strongly enough about any of those ideas to interpret the play in such a way.

And i'm glad I don't because seeing past the feminist message, as ignorant as this may be, allowed me to enjoy the play itself a lot more.

I'm studying it as a drama student, and upon first reading it, it was simply one of the most hilarious and delightful pieces i've ever read. If the translat...more
Nicole
I read this in my grade 12 second credit lit class a few years back. My teacher, a tad crazy, decided that we should act the play out to fully appreciate it. And what better a way than to make all the students dress in drag and perform this play for one another? There's really nothing more amusing than watching 18 year old boys wearing dresses with some balloons stuffed in there proclaiming that they're gonna withhold sex from their husbands, and the girls replying while standing there with thei...more
Daphna Heisler
An enjoyable Greek play! This is an entertaining story and at 60 pages or something, one of the quickest reads you'll find. The basic plot is that Greek women decide to withhold sex from their husbands in order to get them to do what they want (ie: end the Peloponnesian War). The book is enjoyable in an obscene ancient Greek kind of way. It also does a very good job of making you think about the power play between men and women in society (as well as the role that sex takes on in that power play...more
Emma
Lysistrata is an example of a timeless piece of work, been written and performed before the time of Christ, it still resonates with us today. It is a Classical Greek Comedy, set during the Peloponnesian War (civil war between Athens and Sparta which lasted from 431 BC to 404 - 27 years). At the start of the play, the women had been suffering the absence of their husbands for years. One woman, Lysistrata, thinks she knows a way to end the war, and calls a meeting at the Acropolis to discuss her t...more
Claire
This play is about how the women of Greece collectively put an end to the Pelopennesian War by denying their husbands sex. It's one of three plays that address the war, which by the time it was written had been going on for about 21 years.

I notice from some supplemental things I've read that some would call this a "feminist" play. I'm not sure I understand this view, given that Aristophanes is being satirical. I would hope that "feminists" would view this kind of power as something to elevate o...more
Gloria
This play is laugh out loud funny but was written in ancient Greece and so a must read. Some will say its sexist but I say get over it it's a flipping comedy that pokes fun at all kinds. It's all about the women of Athens ingenious and funny method of ending war. The best part was unlike Cyrano and Wilde's plays the humor value was lude and crude. But I gotta say the meaning of it really touched me and it was nice to read some pre-hippie "make love not war" sentiment. I can't wait to get an acti...more
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Of all the writers of "Old Comedy", only one remains. Lost forever are the works of Chionides, Magnes, Ecphantides, Cratinus, Crates, and Eupolis. All the extant comedies of the fifth century B.C. belong to one man--Aristophanes. On his shoulders alone rests the reputation of an entire age of comedy. Fortunately, by most accounts Aristophanes was the greatest comic writer of his day.

By the time Ar...more
More about Aristophanes...
Four Plays: The Clouds / The Birds / Lysistrata / The Frogs Clouds Frogs Birds Lysistrata and Other Plays

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“[Y]ou [man] are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with [woman=] me, when for your faithful ally you might win me easily.” 6 people liked it
“Calonice: My dear Lysistrata, just what is this matter you've summoned us women to consider.What's up? Something big?

Lysistrata: Very big.

Calonice: (interested) Is it stout too?

Lysistrata: (smiling) Yes, indeed -- both big and stout.

Calonice: What? And the women still haven't come?

Lysistrata: It's not what you suppose; they'd come soon enough for that.”
5 people liked it
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