For what it's worth: Peace and love in LysistrataSay no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Have you ever wondered why Marilyn Monroe was painted on the side of a fighter jet? It still seems like a vulgar juxtaposition that the bombs dropped on Hiroshima were, from a visual perspective, dropped between the legs of a pin-up girl. By the way, this tendency to make artware sexy is not indicative of 20th century America. In fact, the trend seems to have continued from the days when Helen's Face launched a thousand ships into the modern era. It seems indisputable that there is a connection between sex and war. It is now a matter of finding the genesis of this improbable relationship, then of explaining its longevity. History and literature contain countless examples of the dichotomy of sexual warfare, but when looking for a model, Aristophanes' play Lysistrata proves particularly effective. In this comedy, a matriarch named Lysistrata and the other women of Athens stage a sex embargo in an attempt to force their husbands to end a long war. Surprisingly, they actually succeed. Much of the literary criticism surrounding this play has focused on this success, elaborating on the role of women as peacekeepers. Critic Mary Jane Fox asserts that Aristophanes "unapologetically posits woman as the champion of humanity and unequivocally sets out to elevate her to a status and capabilities far beyond the expectations of ancient Greece (and perhaps -even be of the 21st century)” (Fox 12). Similarly, Christopher A. Farone focuses on this play's "rather positive images of women as bearers of salvation and civic order", drawing particularly on myths with similar thematic elements like sources of comparison (Farone 42). Additionally, journalist Katha Pollit has highlighted the contemporary relevance of this text, particularly in relation to "Project Lysistrata" and the anti-war effort of the new millennium that attempted to use this ancient piece to influence American foreign policy . are incorrect in their analysis, but aside from Pollit's slight implication that women are naturally better peacekeepers than men, these critics have neglected to explore the possible reasons for women's success in Lysistrata and their sex embargo. Fortunately, scholars are beginning to study the relationship between gender and war found in this text and in society at large. Hong Kong-based researchers, led by psychologist Lei Chang of Chinese University, collected quantitative data on this phenomenon and expanded on their findings in the article "The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships: The Mating-Warring Association in Men.” Sex and War: How Biology Explains War and Terrorism, Malcom Potts and Thomas Hayden approach this conundrum from a historical perspective. By combining the wisdom of these critiques and contemporary scholarship, I intend to demonstrate that Lysistrata, although an ancient text, demonstrates the merit of modern theories surrounding the relationship between sex and war, helping both to illuminate the problems inherent in this association and to pose the possibility of a solution. Initially, the use of language in this play highlights the close relationship between sex and war from the first scene. For example, Lysistrata welcomes a young Spartan girl named Lampito, complimenting her “charming face” and “elegant slimness” (Aristophanes 44). However, Lysistrata does not appreciatenot simply these characteristics because they are attractive, rather she recognizes Lampito's aesthetic appeal as a source of strength, equating the girl's "fresh" appearance with the ability to "strangle a bull" (46) . This compliment may seem ridiculous since Lampito's "thinness" would probably not allow him to "strangle a bull", but the irony here is intentional, suggesting that Lysistrata understands the political capital of sex appeal. Lampito's strength is intangible, but powerful. Furthermore, Lysistrata's organization of a sexual embargo underlines her understanding. This is demonstrated when women take Lysistrata's pledge, recognizing that to "bow to Peace" they "must abstain from all depths of love (120). Although the women comically struggle with the terms of this pact, under Lysistrata's leadership they succeed, ultimately bringing their husbands back from war and peace to Athens. Although this text has its origins in antiquity, its depiction of sex and war has universal relevance. . In her book Homeward Bound: America In the Cold War Era, Elaine Tyler May focuses on the role of female sexuality during World War II. May explains that although women experienced "increasing sexual and economic emancipation" during the war, like Lysistrata and her female cohort, their sexuality had dangerous connotations (May 95). The historian cites a 1972 pamphlet in which radioactive rays were personified as sexy women as well as the use of the slang term "bomb" used to describe a "sexy woman outside the home" as examples of the parallels between danger and female sexuality. (May 97). This depiction of women as volatile sexual entities is echoed in Lysistrata in which the main character quotes men who refer to women as "slippery rascals", although they "stay at home" and are, by their own admission, “naturally shy” (Aristophanes 467). ). Katha Pollit believes that the “positive aspect” of this vision is that it “gives ordinary women a platform – as mothers and housewives – from which they can demand attention as actors important social issues” (Pollit 1). His optimism is justified, especially from the perspective of ancient Greece. The women in this play are not diplomats or even royalty, but weavers. Aristophanes is progressive by ancient Greek standards when he implies that conventional, domestic women can use their sexuality to end a war. However, why does sexuality have this type of power? Aristophanes and modern scientists suggest that, for men, sex and aggression are biologically linked. Lysistrata herself states that "war is the exclusive business of man" and the Hong Kong scientist Lei Cheng seems to agree (Aristophanes 486). The scientist conducted a study with 111 students (60 men) who viewed twenty photos of members of the opposite sex. Half of the men and women surveyed viewed images of people considered attractive while the other half viewed photos of people considered unattractive (Cheng 670). Afterwards, “participants answered 39 questions about wars (Cheng 673). The survey found that male participants “demonstrated more activist attitudes” if they saw photos of attractive women. This same effect was not found in the participants. Chang and colleagues explained these findings, suggesting that there is a “mating war association” that drives males to “engage in organized murderous aggression.”(Cheng 674). The role that biology plays in male aggression can also be seen in Lysistrata, in which sexual stimulus from the female body without the prospect of release makes males more aggressive. In fact, at the start of the sex strike, men's attitudes were positively militant. These attitudes are best illustrated by the catalog of military diction used by Aristophanes in this speech delivered by the chorus of men: Let everyone move as young as he can, and if he has the cause at heart, rise up at the less than a moment. We must take a stand. and stick to it, for if we yield in the least to their importunity. So nowhere against their incursions will we have immunity left (Aristophanes 520). The use of the phrase "take a stand" and the term "give in" imply that the men are considering confronting the sex embargo as they would a military offensive. Additionally, Farone cites these "angry torch-bearing" men and their use of fire as a threat as a common trope in ancient literature that adds to the interpretation of the men as "reckless, angry characters." (Farone 41). In contrast, the women in this play are generally depicted in an opposite light, as evidenced by Lysistrata's tendency toward diplomatic negotiation. Critic Mary Jane Fox believes that Lysistrata demonstrates the "more positive attributes with which women have been stereotyped", such as a tendency toward discussion, avoidance of more aggressive alternatives, and a primal compassion for the injustices of society. war” (Fox 13). This gender disparity is affirmed in the speech of Potts and Hayden who searched history for cases of female “team aggression” but found such cases “completely absent” (Potts 136). When looking at the evidence, it appears that male aggression is a biological imperative that is reinforced in the presence of sexual stimuli, essentially implying that men are responsible for the existence of war. Naturally, the explanation should not and cannot be reduced to this. syllogistic form. In other words, men do not bear all the responsibility in this scenario. The biological imperative for male aggression is a socialized adaptation that has been perpetuated by women. Potts and Hayden explain that, throughout most of history, "men who were willing to attack their neighbors...and who could seduce or coerce women into having sex, ended up having more offspring." (Potts 2). Women, for their part, were more numerous. likely to “improve their reproductive success…by successfully aligning themselves with violent men rather than joining raids and risking death themselves” (2). So it's not necessarily true that women are inherently less aggressive. Lysistrata recognizes aggressive tendencies in women when she tells the magistrate that he “did not guess the thirst for glory burning in our blood” (Aristophanes 443). However, women have learned to satisfy their "passive thirst" because the type of behavior that allows for war is not considered an asset to the female sex. This explains why Lysistrata's offensive tactics are examples of resistance rather than aggression, at one point labeling "contempt" as her weapon of choice (103). The opposite is true for men, who are historically rewarded by women for their displays of aggression, particularly with sexual attention. Men need sex with women to reproduce, and evolution has conditioned them to believe that aggressive behavior will help them satisfy this need. During this.