How we cite our quotes: Line
Quote #10
Myrrhine: "There we are! Lie right down while I undress. But wait, um, yes, a mattress! Must go get one."
Cinesias: "What do you mean, a mattress? No thanks."
Myrrhine: "By Artemis, it's nasty on cords."
Cinesias: "Well then, give me a kiss."
Myrrhine: "There."
Cinesias: "Oh lordy! Get the mattress quick!"
Myrrhine: (returning with a mattress) "There we are! Lie back down and I'll get my clothes off. But wait, um, a pillow, you haven't got a pillow!"
Cinesias: "But I don't need one!"
Myrrhine: "But I do!"
Cinesias: "Is this cock of mine supposed to be Heracles waiting for his dinner?" (920-928)
Here we see Myrrhine's perseverance in sticking to the sex-strike. For all we know, deep down in her heart of hearts, she might be like the woman who sneaks away with the helmet tucked under her shirt: secretly eager to have sex with her husband. And yet, even if Myrrhine wants sex, she wants peace even more. And so she methodically goes about teasing her husband Cinesias, working him up to a pitch of extreme sexual tension—and then constantly inventing new excuses for why she can't have sex with him.