The full quote that I reference in
my title is “Ah, the man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can
turn the head any way she wants.” This is a quote from another popular Greek
story, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Though
the movie came centuries after the play, the quote still goes with it pretty
well.
This whole play is pretty much
summed up in this quote, actually. The Athenian and Spartan men are constantly
fighting each other and trying to prove dominance, and all it takes is some
action from their wives to end the conflict. Then again, the women knew how to
hit them where it hurt. Women may have been in a more subservient role back
then (and still do in a lot of modern cultures), but they still knew how to get
their way and be an influence in most situations.
I know that most people see the
feminism (or parody thereof), but I feel like the women weren't really striving
for that. They just wanted an equal say in the war. They were tired of losing their
men to war (literally and metaphorically), and they wanted to put an end to it
all. Everything they did was to influence the men, not to overpower them. They
basically played them like a fiddle and then went back to being their loving,
devoted wives.
So, in
the end, they all got what they wanted without actually upsetting the status quo.
Sure, a few tail feathers were ruffled, but the results outweighed the means.
Plus, like I said, the social situation didn't actually change. I’m sure the
men would keep this stunt in the back of their minds for the next time there
was a conflict so they’d know what to look for, but there was not real change
of power.
-Andrea B (signing in case my actual name doesn't show up)
I love My Big Fat Greek Wedding and I agree about "the women is the neck." I also agree that I don't believe this play was ever meant to be feministic. Women back then and today can be subservient to their husbands but can manipulate their men through withholding things (like sex as in the play) or changing things. I would also definitely agree that the men would think of this before doing anything that might upset their wives ever again.
ReplyDeleteYep, your name doesn't show up, Andrea. I see "akafred32092." Anywho, when I read your post, I started thinking about the PLOT of this comedy and how the audience of Aristophanes time and the audience of modern day would react to it. (Plus, I recently read that post which addressed the audience.) The female characters sounded very intelligent, full of potential, and able to “turn the head anyway she wants” in this play, yet their efforts were made just to go back to their regular lives with their husbands/lovers to be housewives. I forgot who said this in another post, but yes, I suppose it was one the females' few options of being deemed great in society during Aristophanes time. What about the audience of modern day, like me? I wasn’t offended or piping mad at the play. I laughed while reading this play. I can say I represent a fraction of modern day’s people, and I thought this play reminded me of Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, minus the drugs. Harold and Kumar are like the females of the play, full of potential. The goal of going to White Castle is like the goal of returning home to be housewife. I found it so ridiculous that I didn’t get angry.
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