Oedipus the King and “Lysistrata” Q-1
Using Lysistrata, answer the following question: Can sex really be used to exact political ends?
You will be graded on your demonstration of your knowledge of the text and your ability to communicate your ideas.
NOTE:
For Oedipus the King, I am particularly interested in what you think about fate. To be more precise, I want you to explore the idea that Oedipus is a symbol of us all who might (notice the “might”) be fettered to predestination. In effect, I want you to explore the presence or absence of free will.
Lysistrata presents to us something quite different. The women of the city refuse to yield sexually to their men on the grounds that they believe the war should stop. Is war an inevitablity with humans, and if so, are the demands of the women in the play unreasonable?
Reference(s):
Puchner, Martin, et al. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed., A, B & C, W.W. Norton, 2012. Print.
