They had no voice in the politics or governance of the land and were stereotyped as wanton and fond of drink. To conceive of women acting in concert to end the war was absurd and laughable. This then is Aristophanes happy idea that this powerless group, these women, could use the only tool available to them their bodies and force an end to this devastating conflict. The women in the play, Lysistrata, Myrrhine, Calonice and Lampito, have never known a time without war, a time when young men were not serving their country often with their lives. It is an act of absurd desperation.
Sex sells, then as now, and humor can sometimes disarm prejudice.
We hope you will watch this unfold on both levels enjoying the humor and recognizing the argument.