Lysistrata - Unity II

Not only does the theme of "togetherness" involve the uniting of Greek city-states, but also the uniting of the women and men of Greece. Throughout this play, male and female stereotypes reign supreme, clearly showing the division between man and woman in the text, outlining how the man's job is to be outside, tending his war, while the women remain indoors, tending the home (ring any bells, sounds a lot like Bernarda's view of gender roles in "The House of Bernarda Alba"). This seperation in everyday life lacks the unity necessary to ensure peace. The most ironic thing about the lack of unity in everyday life between the men and women, is that the women in society try to re-unite men and women by seperating themselves from men. By taking abstinences, they further seperate themselves in order to to further unite themselves in the end, nearly an "ends justify the means" thing going on. It's funny that things have to get worse before they get better, with the worse coming through abstinence and the better coming through national peace.