Lysistrata Women and Femininity Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Line

Quote #10

Lysistrata: "Now listen to what I have to say. It's true I'm a woman, but still I've got a mind: I'm pretty intelligent in my own right, and because I've listened many a time to the conversations of my father and other elders, I'm pretty well educated too. Now that you're my captive audience I'm ready to give you the tongue-lashing you deserve—both of you." (1124-1129)

Lysistrata is as serious as a heart attack. Unfortunately, because she is a woman in male-dominated Athenian society, she has to go the extra mile to get people to listen. But here's a question: why do you think Lysistrata only mentions what she has learned from her male family members. Didn't she learn anything from her Mommy? Do you think this shows that Lysistrata has internalized some of the prejudice from her environment, or is she just speaking in terms that her male listeners will be able to relate to?