Sexual politics in Lysistrata: the Comic Eros

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Published: Dec 30, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32334/oqnfp.2022n51a908
Keywords:
Aristophanes, Lysistrata, Eros, sex, politics, peace

Main Article Content

Luisa Severo Buarque de Holanda
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1888-2465
Felipe Gall
He holds a PhD (2021) and a Master's degree (2017) in Philosophy from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, and undergraduate degrees in Philosophy (2014) and History (2013) from the Catholic University of Petrópolis. He did a post-doctoral internship at the Fluminense Federal University. He is an adjunct professor at the Philosophy Department of the State University of Rio de Janeiro. He is a member of the Brazilian Society of Classical Studies (SBEC) and the ANPOF Ancient Philosophy WG.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2074-1810

Abstract

Our aim in this article is to illuminate the relevance and the density of the political performance of the protagonist Lysistrata in the homonymous play by Aristophanes. To do so, we will explain the assumptions of the sexual elements that permeate the lucid political tactics that this character puts into operation throughout the play. Such operation will be made in three steps. In a first moment, we will list the images — not by chance almost always sexual and sexualized — of the feminine in the play. In a second section, we will analyze what the parallelism abundantly explored by Aristophanes between the famous sex strike practiced by young married women and the occupation of the Acropolis carried out by older women means, in terms of sexual politics. Finally, we will seek to present an interpretation for the meaning of the interventions proposed and led by Lysistrata in terms of the social conditions of the historical context in which the play is set. We will conclude by developing a parallel between feminine and comic inclinations, which can only be fully realised in a peaceful environment.

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 30 No. 51 (2022): About Love
Section
Articles
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Author Biographies

Luisa Severo Buarque de Holanda, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)

She holds a BA (1997), MA (2001) and PhD (2008) in Philosophy from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She completed a post-doctoral internship at the Sorbonne (Centre Léon Robin, 2010), under the supervision of Prof. Barbara Cassin, and a second post-doctoral internship at the Center for Classical and Humanistic Studies at the University of Coimbra (2019-2020), under the supervision of Prof. Maria de Fátima Sousa e Silva. She has been an adjunct professor (since 2013) and Undergraduate Coordinator (since 2020) in the Philosophy Department at PUC-Rio, working in undergraduate and postgraduate studies. She was a visiting professor at Södertörns University (Sweden, 2013) and at Universidade Nova de Lisboa (2020/21/22). She was Coordinator of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IEAHu) at PUC-Rio between 2016 and 2019. She is a member of the following research groups: Ousia (Classical Philosophy Studies Laboratory at UFRJ), Pragma (Classical Philosophy Studies Program at UFRJ) and Nufa (Ancient Philosophy Center at PUC-Rio). She is a member of the Latin American Association of Ancient Philosophy (ALFA), the Brazilian Network of Women Philosophers (RBMF), the ANPOF Ancient Philosophy WG and the Brazilian Society of Classical Studies (SBEC). Editor-in-Chief of Revista Classica, an SBEC journal, between 2018 and 2021. She has experience in Ancient Philosophy and Greek Literature, working mainly on the following subjects: mimesis, tragedy, comedy, Aristophanic works, History of Ancient Philosophy, Plato and Aristotle, Philosophy of Language in Antiquity, History of Rhetoric.

Felipe Gall, He holds a PhD (2021) and a Master's degree (2017) in Philosophy from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, and undergraduate degrees in Philosophy (2014) and History (2013) from the Catholic University of Petrópolis. He did a post-doctoral internship at the Fluminense Federal University. He is an adjunct professor at the Philosophy Department of the State University of Rio de Janeiro. He is a member of the Brazilian Society of Classical Studies (SBEC) and the ANPOF Ancient Philosophy WG.

He holds a PhD (2021) and a Master's degree (2017) in Philosophy from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, and undergraduate degrees in Philosophy (2014) and History (2013) from the Catholic University of Petrópolis. He did a post-doctoral internship at the Fluminense Federal University. He is an adjunct professor at the Philosophy Department of the State University of Rio de Janeiro. He is a member of the Brazilian Society of Classical Studies (SBEC) and the ANPOF Ancient Philosophy WG.

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