A Comparison Between Lysistrata and Şalvar Davası

Lysistrata persuades the women of Greece to deny their husbands’ sexual privileges in order to force the men to seek a peace, and thereby ends the Peneponnesian War. In Şalvar Davası (an adaptation of Lysistrata in Turkey), a woman leaves her house, just like Lysistrata, and organises other women. The root cause is so similar, even it is from different aspects. In Şalvar Davası, women are treated as inferiors by everyone; husband, employer, and other family members. In Lysistrata, bigger independence issues are considered as women try to seize land and show their power. Led by Lysistrata, even women from enemy states gathered round to seize the Acropolis, hide spare coins in the Parthenon, and overthrow Athena’s warpower. The game was staged in B.C 411, when wars between Athena and Sparta were held. Enemy states’ women’s gathering shows that when common benefit is the matter, unity is the most important thing. After taking an oath on Lysistrata’s plan, the enemies return to their lands. Lysistrata and Athenian women occupy the Acropolis, once seized by old women. Then, a group of old men tries to get the Acropolis back, but fails as old women repel them by collaborating. Lysistrata keeps encouraging women to be like old women. In Şalvar Davası, the landowner ends up not using women in the first place, so it can be said that there is safety in numbers. When women left their houses, men had to shoulder all the responsibilities, which included basic things like laundry, cooking, dishes, and ironing. Sadly, they cannot even deal with their previous single job, farming. It shows that the patriorchal community makes men lazy. They should have done basic chores from the very beginning. However, there was a moment when men and women realised they were equal at some point. The landowner, who tried to take advantage of men by manipulating them to force women to procreate, prevented this situation. This shows people’s need to grind other people to forget their confusion. Recruiting sex workers made men feel superior again. Sexuality was a symbol of manhood. This perspective can be seen when wives give their husbands drugs to desexualise them without noticing. They felt ashamed of each other and could not say a word. In Lysistrata, there was also a moment which shows men’s concern about sex. Kinesias lusts for his wife and tries to take her home. However, after seducing him, the wife returns to the Acropolis. Meanwhile, Kinesias feels disconnected from his responsibilities. As the story progresses, Sparta, where men face similar problems, declares a sue for peace, and Lysistrata insists, and peace is made. Atheans and Spartans go to the Acropolis for a feast. In Şalvar Davası, the landowner is defeated, and in return, women attain their rights. In conclusion, both of the plays show that women need to get together and fight for their rights and freedom. They can do things that men can, and even things that men cannot do. In the end, the distinction between rural and urban women is erased in Şalvar Davası. Also, countrywomen have gained rights to their bodies, whether they want to have a baby or have sex. Rather than being sex and benefit objects, they are now individuals thanks to concerted effort.