Lysistrata Section 4 Summary

  • Some more threats and insults get traded back and forth—but then Lysistrata interrupts them. Looking down from the walls of the Acropolis, she sees someone coming towards them: a man… and he's visibly aroused.
  • Suddenly, Myrrhine recognizes him: it's her husband, Cinesias! And he's carrying their baby.
  • Lysistrata tells Myrrhine to seduce him, make him totally turned on—but then not have sex with him. She sends all the other women away. This leaves Lysistrata, Myrrhine, and Cinesias onstage.
  • From where he's standing, Cinesias can't see Myrrhine. He asks Lysistrata where he can find her. Lysistrata holds out until Cinesias tosses her a wallet full of coins. Then she leaves the ramparts and gets Myrrhine. Myrrhine takes Lysistrata's place on the ramparts.
  • Cinesias sees her, and begs her to come down, but Myrrhine refuses. She says that Cinesias doesn't really want her. Cinesias protests that he does want her—and the baby does too. The baby then cries out, in Ancient Greek, "mammia, mammia, mammia!" (Too cute, really.)
  • Eventually, Myrrhine gives in—to the baby, that is—and says she's coming down.
  • As soon as she arrives at the base of the ramparts, Myrrhine runs up to her baby and kisses it. She tells it she feels bad for it—because it has such a bad father.
  • In response, Cinesias starts complaining about how the house has gotten all dilapidated in Myrrhine's absence. He can't understand why his wife is hanging out with all these other women. He essentially calls them a bunch of crazy broads.
  • Myrrhine explains that she won't come home and have sex with Cinesias until the men stop the war against Sparta.
  • Cinesias tells her he'll think about it, but would she please just lie down with him for a little bit right now? When Myrrhine points out that their baby is still there, Cinesias sends it home with Manes, their slave.
  • Once the baby's gone, Cinesias suggests to Myrrhine that it's time for them to get their groove on. Myrrhine points out that they don't have anywhere to do it. After some back and forth, Myrrhine agrees to do it where they are—but only if she can go get a bed.
  • In no time, Myrrhine has come back with a bed. She starts getting undressed. But then she realizes she's forgot something: they don't have a mattress!
  • Cinesias doesn't think they need a mattress, but Myrrhine insists. And so she runs off. When she comes back, Cinesias is ready to get busy. But Myrrhine realizes that they don't have a pillow. And so, she's gone again.
  • This pattern continues for the next little while, as Myrrhine realizes that she's forgotten one thing after another, and goes to fetch them. Cinesias, of course, doesn't think that any of these things are too important—and is getting increasingly aroused and frustrated.
  • Finally, at the very last minute, when it looks like Myrrhine is finally going to get it on with Cinesias, she makes him swear once more to make peace—and then runs back into the Acropolis.