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Myrrhine
In Greek drama, a chorus is a homogenous, synchronized group of actors that typically comments on the action of the play and models the ideal audience response in speech, song, and dance; their leader and spokesperson is called a “Koryphaios.” It was usually traditional to only have one Chorus in a play, but in Lysistrata there are two, and both Choruses directly participate in the action of the play. The fierce, no-nonsense Chorus of Old Women seizes the Acropolis—site of the Athenian war treasury—as part of Lysistrata’s plan to end the Peloponnesian War. Using pitchers of water, the Chorus then repels the Chorus of Old Men as the latter attempts to burn and smoke the women out.
The Chorus of Old Women Quotes in Lysistrata
The Lysistrata quotes below are all either spoken by The Chorus of Old Women or refer to The Chorus of Old Women. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 254 – 705
Quotes
Preserve me, Athene, from gazing on any
maiden or maid auto-da fé’d.
Cover with grace these redeemers of Greece
from battles, insanity, Man’s inhumanity.
Gold-browed goddess, hither to aid us!
Fight as our ally, join in our sally
against pyromaniac slaughter—
Haul Water!
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A tally of [these girls’] talents
convinces me they’re giants
of excellence. To commence:
there’s Beauty, Duty, Prudence, Science,
Self-Reliance, Compliance, Defiance,
and Love of Athens in balanced alliance
with Common Sense!
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Lines 706 – 979
Quotes
Melanion is our ideal:
his loathing makes us free.
Our dearest aim is the gemlike flame
of his misogyny.
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The Chorus of Old Women Quotes in Lysistrata
The Lysistrata quotes below are all either spoken by The Chorus of Old Women or refer to The Chorus of Old Women. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 254 – 705
Quotes
Preserve me, Athene, from gazing on any
maiden or maid auto-da fé’d.
Cover with grace these redeemers of Greece
from battles, insanity, Man’s inhumanity.
Gold-browed goddess, hither to aid us!
Fight as our ally, join in our sally
against pyromaniac slaughter—
Haul Water!
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
A tally of [these girls’] talents
convinces me they’re giants
of excellence. To commence:
there’s Beauty, Duty, Prudence, Science,
Self-Reliance, Compliance, Defiance,
and Love of Athens in balanced alliance
with Common Sense!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Lines 706 – 979
Quotes
Melanion is our ideal:
his loathing makes us free.
Our dearest aim is the gemlike flame
of his misogyny.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
