Myrrhine vs. Kinesias

In the Greek women's act of defiance and abstinence, Lysistrata receives total support. One of the secondary characters, Myrrhine is employed by Lysistrata to demonstrate the most blatant show of women's sexual power over men. When Myrrhine's husband Kinesias comes to the women holing up at the Akropolis, Lysistrata seizes it as a strategic opportunity. She sends Myrrhine down with the instructions: "Pop him on the griddle, twist/the spit, braize him, baste him, stew him in his own/juice, do him to a turn. Sear him with kisses,/coyness, caresses, everything--/but stop where Our Oath/begins." (91). As if the sexual imagery Lysistrata presents weren't enough, Myrrhine proceeds to follow Lysistrata's orders almost perfectly. She tortures her desperate husband, finding new excuses as to why they couldn't make love while subtly inserting reminders to vote for peace between Athens and Sparta. After she runs off, Kinesias laments his...state but defends his wife when the Koryphaios of the Men (the leader of the male chorus) insults Myrrhine (99-104).

Picasso, Pablo. Cinesias et Myrrhine. 1934. Etching. 

This scene is the most intriguing of the whole play. It shows how the male species underestimates the "weaker" sex, not really believing they have it in them to fight for their rights and what they want. This play is a comedy, but there are serious undertones in terms of gender equality and rights, as well as portraying the complicated relationships between men and women. Myrrhine and Kinesias are the most obvious example of this in the book; before their seemingly sexual encounter, Myrrhine descends from the Akropolis to where her husband and child wait in a guilt-trip trap. Kinesias attempts to shame her, saying: "You should be ashamed of yourself, letting these women/lead you around. Why do you DO these things?/You only make me suffer and hurt your poor,/sweet self." Myrrhine fires right back with "Keep your hands away from me!...Frankly, I couldn't care less." (96). This dialogue captures the assumptions of men who believe they are higher in a relationship with a woman. Calling Myrrhine "poor" and "sweet" is the most patronizing description of a strong woman who is clearly surviving well without her husband's attentions. Today, there is less inequality between genders, but it is still a solid belief in many cultures and misogynistic generations that women cannot survive without a man.

Kinesias contradicts this centuries-old conviction in his original statement, even providing more support in a diatribe about the poor state of the household after Myrrhine refuses to give in to his bid to seduce her back to normality, where she lives as a docile housewife. He can't seem to keep himself together, or his household, and though it is made clear he and Myrrhine truly do love each other, his original attempts at getting her back reflect all too well into modern society, such as the social perceptions of the 1950s, where women were expected to make Jell-O at home and listen to their husbands without complaint or disrespect.