http://geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2006-01-16 03:10 pm
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Introduction to Western Literature, Lesson Two

Monday, January 16, 5th and 6th periods



[LECTURE] Lysistrata is an example of the Greek form of drama termed Comedy. Borrowing heavily from the older dramatic form of Tragedy, the Greek comedy incorporated choral dances and masked actors, and made use of the same poetic meter and language. Greek tragedy -- and therefore, by extension, comedy -- has a characteristic structure in which scenes of dialogue alternate with choral songs. This arrangement allows the chorus to comment in its song in a general way on what has been said and/or done in the preceding scene. Most Greek dramas begin with an opening scene of expository dialogue or monologue called a prologue.

After the prologue the chorus marches into the orchestra chanting the parodos. The existance of a chorus is particular to the Greek drama, and is something that seems rather foreign to modern readers. The first function of the chorus was to chant an entrance song, or parodos, as they marched into the orchestra. Once the chorus had taken its position in the orchestra, its duties were twofold. It engaged in dialogue with characters through its leader, the Coryphaeus, who spoke the lines of dialogue assigned to the chorus. The chorus's most important function was to using and dance choral songs called stasima (singular stasimon).

Following the prologue comes a scene of dialogue called an episode, which in turn is followed by the first stasimon. The alternation of episode and stasimon continues until the last stasimon, after which there is a final scene of dialogue called an exodos or "exit scene". The exodos is in general a scene of dialogue, but, as in the case of episodes, sometimes songs are included.

An example of a typical structure:
* Prologue
* Parodos
* First Episode
* First Stasimon
* Second Episode
* Second Stasimon
* Third Episode
* Third Stasimon
* Fourth Episode
* Fourth Stasimon
* Exodos

The playwright Aristophanes produced at least forty plays between 427 and 387 BCE, eleven of which have survived to modern times. The actors wore masks that completely obscured their facial features and emotions were only shown by words and gesture. There were no female actors in this time and men played both sexes. Males often wore large artificial genitals on their costumes to heighten their masculinity.

Lysistrata is set during the Peloponnesian War, an intense conflict between Athens and Sparta for supremacy in Greece. The Athenians had more financial resources than the Spartans and were able to pay foreign sailors to command their naval fleet, but they faced many internal problems. There was a great deal of corruption among Athenian leaders and the government was finally overthrown in 411 BCE. The group of 400 men who overthrew the government attempted to form a dictatorial government and make peace with Sparta, but the Athenians then overthrew these men. Athens was then defeated by Sparta.

[DISCUSSION] Explain the following:

Why do the women of Athens resort to the measures they use to convince the men to stop making war?

[WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT] (Due by the end of class)

In approximately 100 words, explain the symbolism of the character "Peace".

***Assignment for next week: Read Plato's Symposium. We will also be hosting a guest lecturer: Professor CJ Cregg.***

Re: SIGN IN

[identity profile] kitty--fetish.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 08:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Alphonse signed in.

Re: SIGN IN

[identity profile] izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Isabel signs in

Re: SIGN IN

[identity profile] gotcanewillpoke.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
He hasn't seen Geoff sinc ehe got back from Michigan, and he slinks intot he classroom as quietly as he can, which isn't really so quiet with the cane and a cup of coffee. He slips into a seat in the back and thumbs his copy of the day's lesson.

Re: SIGN IN

[identity profile] lady-jessica-bg.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Jessica signs in.

Re: SIGN IN

[identity profile] kawalsky.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 12:48 am (UTC)(link)
Kawalsky signed in.

Re: SIGN IN

[identity profile] ihatedenmark.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 06:54 am (UTC)(link)
*Hamlet signs in.*

Re: SIGN IN

[identity profile] apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 08:46 am (UTC)(link)
John signs in and looks for an open seat.

Re: SIGN IN

[identity profile] harried-potter.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 12:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Harry signs in

Re: DISCUSSION

[identity profile] kitty--fetish.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 08:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"The women of Athens made the choice out of desperation to end the war; they probably realized before the men, who were too intent on winning their side of the war, that if they engaged the fights any further that they could possibly destroy each other's countries and lives. So decided that was the one thing they could do to convince them the most."

Re: DISCUSSION

[identity profile] izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"At that time, women had no role in government or society other then as wife and mother. Officially they could do nothing to stop the war. They were forced to resort to the only weapon left to them, sex, to accomplish their goal."

Re: DISCUSSION

[identity profile] lady-jessica-bg.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"It was certainly an effective weapon," Jessica commented.

Re: DISCUSSION

[identity profile] harried-potter.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 02:06 pm (UTC)(link)
*throws him a ball of paper which states that 'john is a dirty bastard!'*

Re: DISCUSSION

[identity profile] apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 02:15 pm (UTC)(link)
John opens it up, sees the message, and glances around to see who threw it. Whoever it was, was a nancy ponce, indeed! He showers

Re: DISCUSSION

[identity profile] kawalsky.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 12:52 am (UTC)(link)
"Pretty much what these guys said. Women didn't have any political power back then, but they knew that they had to do something, so they used what power they did have. They figured that they controlled daily life a lot more than the men realized, and they used that card to get what they wanted."

Re: WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

[identity profile] kitty--fetish.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"By the time Lysistrata decides to make her speech, the men have been quite, ah... deprived, since then. By having the character Peace stand alongside her, it’s like having a demonstration of what the men want most by then. If the men would agree with Lysistrata’s words and submit to what the women want, then the men too could have back what they want as well. If they didn’t agree to making the peace treaty, then the women would continue their protests and they could not get what they desired, as well."

Re: DISCUSSION

[identity profile] lady-jessica-bg.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Peace, in the play, is Lysistrata’s beautiful handmaid. In Lysistrata’s last bid for peace, she displays this handmaid in public without her clothes. The men, having been deprived of sex for a long period of time and about to implode from desperation, are naturally powerless to resist the thought of having compliant wives once more and agree to peace. The whole play is about peace as a more agreeable alternative. Thus, it is highly fitting that a character named “Peace” would be the straw that broke the camel’s back and ended a war.

Re: WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

[identity profile] izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
Peace is the ultimate goal of all the characters. However it seems the men have lost track of this in the never-ending war. Lysistrata’s organized campaign of sexual denial effectively catches the attention of the men and focuses them on this more immediate problem and draws their focus from the current state of war. In the end, the character Peace symbolizes not only the immediate resolution of the men’s frustrated desires, but she also symbolizes the end of the war and literal peace between the city states.

Re: WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

[identity profile] kawalsky.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
Peace did what her name suggested. She brought about the end of the war. But what she symbolized was the power women had to counteract the war-like habits of men. She was the embodiment of femininity and of the control that the women had over the men and over war.

But more than that, she was not just a woman or the power of women. She was the human factor that was able to make men see sense and unit the people to let them find a reason to stop the senseless violence that comes with war. Sometimes wars are a necessary evil, but the death and violence in war, especially in a drawn out war, can be a hard habit to break. Peace was a reminder of the humanity that could stop this violence.

Re: WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

[identity profile] ihatedenmark.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 07:48 am (UTC)(link)
On the symbolica level, Peace is Lysistrata's handmaiden, who is brought out to the sexually deprived men of Athens at the end of the play both to illustrate how war can be ended, and to play on their base carnal lusts. On a more litteral level, all the actors in the play would hav been fully dressed men wearing masks, performing for an almost exclusively male audience. In this way, Peace can also be seen as a male ideal of what the feminine should be, without including actual women in their depiction of female sexuality.

Re: WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

[identity profile] apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 08:49 am (UTC)(link)
John turns in a crappy assignment as the mun tries to keep down solid food

Re: TALK TO THE PROFESSOR

[identity profile] izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Isabel approached after class, "Professor Chaucer, you wanted to talk about the TA position?"

Re: TALK TO THE PROFESSOR

[identity profile] izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com 2006-01-16 10:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm definitely still interested in the position. I don't think I have any questions at this point. Should I start by emailing you an attendance list this Friday?"

Isabel grinned a bit, "Also, how do you like your coffee?"

Re: TALK TO THE PROFESSOR

[identity profile] izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com 2006-01-17 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
Shaking his hand, Isabel laughed. "I can see where email would be a problem them. I'll drop it off on your desk. And coffee black, espresso preferred. I think I can handle that."


[ooc: will an email to your fandom email work? And sorry I disappeared. RL and all that....]