How we cite our quotes: Line
Quote #4
Magistrate: "Damn my luck, I'm out of policemen. But men must never, ever be worsted by women! Form up ranks, Scythians, and let's charge them!"
Lysistrata: "By the Two Goddesses, you'll soon discover that we also have four squadrons of fully armed combat women, waiting inside!"
Magistrate: "Scythians, twist their arms behind their backs!"
Lysistrata: "Women of the reserve, come out double time!"
Enter Old Women.
"Forward, you spawn of the marketplace, you soup and vegetable mongers! Forward, you landladies, you hawkers of garlic and bread! Tackle them! Hit them! Smash them! Call them names, the nastier the better! That's enough! Withdraw! Don't strip the bodies!"
Policemen run away howling; Old Women reenter the Acropolis. (449-461)
The Magistrate starts off this exchange by expressing his horror at the thought that men could be defeated by women—who are usually thought of as being less powerful than dudefolk. Lysistrata has no illusions about the fact that, on average, individual men are likely to be physically stronger than individual women. But is individual physical strength the only source of power? Far from it: power also comes from teamwork. We can see this in action when Lysistrata calls upon a whole host of different women to mount a counterattack against the Scythian policemen. Aw, yeah, Lysistrata & Co. Get it.
Quote #5
Magistrate: "But what do you plan to do?"
Lysistrata: "You're asking me that? We'll manage it for you."
Magistrate: "You'll manage the money?"
Lysistrata: "What's so strange about that? Don't we manage the household finances for you already?"
Magistrate: "That's different."
Lysistrata: "How so?"
Magistrate: "These are war funds!" (493-496)
Here, we see Lysistrata and the Magistrate debating about how much power women should be allowed to exercise in the city. Lysistrata makes the point that women have important power already, as managers of the finances in their households. The Magistrate doesn't really have much to say to this argument, does he? Isn't just saying "These are war funds!" pretty much the same as an ostrich sticking its head in the sand and pretending it's not in danger? Lysistrata: 1; Magistrate: 0.
Quote #6
Lysistrata: "Before now, and for quite some time, we maintained our decorum and suffered in silence whatever you men did, because you wouldn't let us make a sound. But you weren't exactly all we could ask for. No, we knew only too well what you were up to, and many a time we'd hear in our homes about the bad decision you'd made on some great issue of state. Then, masking the pain in our hearts, we'd put on a smile and ask you, 'How did the Assembly go today? Any decision about a rider to the peace treaty?' And my husband would say, 'What's that to you? Shut up!' And I'd shut up."
First Old Woman: "I wouldn't have shut up!"
Magistrate: "If you hadn't shut up, you'd have got a beating!" (507-516)
These lines show how men maintain their power over the women of the city. This happens in part through the women's politeness; most of the time, they simply don't want to give their husbands a hard time about the bad decisions they are making in the assembly. Eventually, however, the women feel that enough is enough, and at this point, the power dynamic shifts to one of physical strength, as the men use threats of violence to keep their wives from speaking up. As Lysistrata tells it, this usually had its desired effect: "I'd shut up," as she puts it. But the men can't keep these women silent forever.