Sigmund Freud, The Wife Of Bath, And Medea

714 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The wife of bath and courtly love in the tale

Sigmund Freud, the originator of psychoanalysis, once stated the following: “The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is ‘What does a woman want?’ In the three works we studied in class I believe that that all the stories have the different answers to this question. In Medea, the Wife of Bath, and Emilia I believe that there are three different answer they would give to this question. In Medea, you still a strong and hurt person. The Wife of Bath tale tells us what the women believe that every women desires. Lastly, Emilia is very intelligent and loyal. While these three tales are very different, they are also very much the same. As I read deeper into the stories, I realized that Freud statement is answered throughout these works.

In the tale of Medea, I believe her answer would be that every woman wants revenge and power. I believe that because in …show more content…

I believe that the both answers would be about women have wanting power. As the old lady told the knight this answer she really was inserting her power over him. She made him believe that this in fact was the right answer. She even made a deal with the knight in order for him to get the answer. I saw power in the deal that was made because the knight was so desperate that he agrees to the deal and had no idea what she wanted in return. I find this to be similar with Medea because Medea feels abandon by Jason leaving her and feel the need to get him back. In the story, she is seeming powerless when he leaves her until she gets upset. Then I feel like she feels she needs to gain the power back. I also see this kind of power in Emilia when she is loyal to her husband but he betrays her. There is also a sense of her taking her power back when she realizes her husband had a hand in the murder and she reveals she had a part in

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast The Yellow Wallpaper And Othello

    1329 Words  | 3 Pages

    The societies found in the two texts, while different, share a number of similarities that can be compared by using examples from The Yellow Wallpaper and Othello. In both texts, women were expected to be silent, obedient, and subservient. While the men in court did show surprise to Othello slapping Desdemona, when Desdemona excused herself they merely commented that she was “truly (an) obedient lady” (iv.i.278-279) as if that was what was important and she was not just publicly abused by her husband. Emilia’s willingness to compromise herself by stealing the handkerchief and to lie for Iago’s cause points to the woman’s role in supporting her husband, a role which was not necessarily reciprocated. In The Yellow Wallpaper, Jane was a patient of the rest cure who became increasingly aware throughout the story that she had to keep her thoughts to herself or else continue being treated as a prisoner in the name of her health. In both tales,

    Read More

  • Women In Othello

    1216 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel Othello, written by William Shakespeare, there are a variety of ways in which women are portrayed. There are strong willed women such as Emilia, who stands up to the men, especially to her husband. If he is wrong she would openly admit that he is incorrect. There are also women who are thought to be a possession as well as extremely submissive to their husbands such as Desdemona. She is the type of woman that will obey her husband to the day she dies. Desdemona believes that her husband is always right and he will never do anything that will lead her into the wrong direction. Many of the women in this time thought the same way. They are viewed as house workers, cooks, and teachers to the children. In addition to those qualities women obtain, having no authority in marriages is also added to the list. In this novel, there is judgment against women because they are “unequal” to men. They are not allowed to do the same as men for the reason that they do not possess the same qualities as men. Men were considered to be superior to women. Women were treated as their “slaves.” In contrast, today’s time women now have power. They have the right to vote, run for office, and even work outside their homes. Women now play the part as the male and female figure in the households. They are considered independent women, not relying on a male figure. Even if they are married now, they do not listen to everything that their husbands tell them to do. It states in the Bible that a male figure is the head of the households; however women today have strayed away from that view that they had back then. They want to be the dominate figure. Times have really changed from the past to the present. W...

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Essay on Medea and Antigone

    578 Words  | 2 Pages

    In classic works being a strong woman seems to run hand in hand with being manipulative. Medea lied and cheated friends to try to acquire time in order to get what she wants. In this case what she wants is revenge agents her ex-husband. She tricks a friend to give her asylum in Athens after she has committed her insane task. Medea even goes so far as to be able to con Kreon, the king himself into giving her an extra day. This unwittingly gives her exactly what she needs. Antigone tries her hand at manipulation but is not as successful as Medea. Antigone tries, with no avail, to persuade her sister, Ismene, to help her give their brother Polyneices a proper burial. In this way they are more like foxes, cunning but not always getting it right. Their deceitful nature is their strength.

    Read More

  • Who Is Euripedes True Misogynist

    814 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play, although there were some scenes where women were outright scorned, (ie. the scene where Jason mentioned that women were unnecessary beings) the overall care and handling that Euripedes put into Medea’s character showed that he truly did believe that women could be powerful. “I will take them away myself / and bury them with this hand” (Euripedes 1427-8). In this scene, Medea is talking to Jason and she is telling him that she herself will bury her own children even if she has to suffer being with their lifeless bodies. That, coupled with the fact that she

    Read More

  • Freud and Hansel and Gretel

    1624 Words  | 4 Pages

    2) Hansel - Hansel is a 14 year old Caucasian male and his ethnicity is German. He has had no formal education, but learned what he could from his father and mother while they were both alive. He is very skinny and has an average health at the beginning of the story. His social status is fairly low as a person within the forest; this is because he is poor, has a lack of resources and was not born as a female witch. Hansel on a daily basis attempts to help his father gather food, although he is not very good at it. When Hansel has free time he enjoys exploring in the forest.

    Read More

  • Othello

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare illustrates the injustices done to women by demonstrating the treatment Desdemona and Emilia received after having been framed of adultery. Because both women are though of cheating on their husbands, they no longer fit in society’s model of an exemplary wife. Despite having proved their affection for their husbands countless of times, not having a pure image led to Iago and Othello mistreating of the women they once loved. Once both women began to stand up for themselves and challenge the authority of their husbands, the repercussions of their bravery were both women’s death. Which shows, women’s only source of authority was their reputation as a wife. Once they lost that status, they no longer held any form or respect in society or with their husband’s.

    Read More

  • Medea’s Madness

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... powerful, manipulative, and extremely smart, yet because she is a woman she has limited social power. She has no chance of being a hero because she acts out of hurt in her marriage and love turned to hate. In Aeschylus’ Oresteia, Agamemnon also kills his child, although it is not praised, he is still considered a hero after his death. Medea is portrayed as being a selfish and ruthless woman, making her unnatural. Nevertheless, the audience finds themselves uncomfortably admiring Medea and her strength as a woman. Medea’s madness portrays how one’s emotions can lead to detrimental results rather than using reason. She is driven by her desire for revenge and will stop at nothing to burn her husband Jason as he did her.

    Read More

  • The Thousand And One Nights Vs Medea Analysis

    1471 Words  | 3 Pages

    Euripides shows his views on female power through Medea. As a writer of the marginalized in society, Medea is the prime example of minorities of the age. She is a single mother, with 2 illegitimate children, in a foreign place. Despite all these disadvantages, Medea is the cleverest character in the story. Medea is a warning to the consequences that follow when society underestimates the

    Read More

  • Freud and Dora

    1026 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sigmund Freud's work as a psychologist brought him to an almost unparalleled fame in the psychoanalytic world. Freud can be seen as the predecessor of modern psychology. His views on the unconscious mind were groundbreaking to the 19th century world. He became interested in women's psychoanalysis and the fact that their sexual drive could cause them to become hysterical. During this time the world had believed that humans had control over both the knowledge they retained about themselves and their environment. This was when Freud came up with the idea of the unconscious mind. Through this theory, Freud suggested that individuals do not even know what they are thinking most of the time. In the case of Dora, Freud would conclude that she was sexually attracted to her father, his mistress, and the husband of her father's mistress subconsciously.

    Read More

  • A Close Reading of Euripides' Medea

    650 Words  | 2 Pages

    Medea's first public statement, a sort of "protest speech," is one of the best parts of the play and demonstrates a complex, at times even contradictory, representation of gender.  Medea's calm and reasoning tone, especially after her following out bursts of despair and hatred, provides the first display of her ability to gather herself together in the middle of crisis and pursue her hidden agenda with a great determination. This split in her personality is to a certain degree gender bias. The lack of emotional restraint is "typical" of women, and the strong attention to moral action is a common trait of heroes. Medea actually uses both of these traits so that her wild emotions fuel her ideals, thus producing a character that fails to fit into a clear mold.

    Read More

  • Play: Freud's Last Session

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Do you count on your own tomorrow?” This is a simple yes or no question, but the answer is based highly on a person’s beliefs, morals, and worldviews. Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis were two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, and the two join together in the play, Freud’s Last Session. Sigmund Freud was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1856. Supporter or non-supporter, everyone agrees that Freud was one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. Freud focused mostly on the interaction of the conscious and unconscious mind. Not only did he transform psychology; he transformed the way people view themselves and the way they think about their lives (A Science Odyssey). Unlike Freud’s secular and atheistic view of the world, the other great mind, C.S. Lewis, viewed the world in a spiritual way.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In Othello

    1549 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Shakespearean classic work Othello enchants the readers mind through the tragic love story of the witty and cunning soldier Othello and the charming and powerful Desdemona. The continuous reinforcement of their tragedy is molded by the gender roles present in the play, particularly those of Bianca, Desdemona, and Emilia. Although the men are important within the outcome of the play, mainly Iago and Othello, the women take a more subtle, yet effective approach in manipulating the work through their personalities. Bianca is a woman of self-esteem and sexual power while Desdemona is the keeper of Othello’s heart and handkerchief, never once denouncing him, even her death. Emilia subtly represents that women are just as powerful, if not more,

    Read More

  • The Three Women Portrayed in Shakespeare's Othello

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    The basis of Shakespeare’s plays appears to focus mainly around the dominant male character and his conflicts, which tend to deal with a woman. There are only three women in the play Othello; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca. The way in which these women behave and present themselves strongly reflects the ideological expectations of women within Shakespeare’s imagined Venetian society as well as the Elizabethan society in which he lived. This patriarchal Venetian society presented in the play depicts women as possessions of men who should remain submissive and meek at all times. The women are expected to unselfishly and unreservedly devote their lives to serve their fathers until they are of age to do so, their husbands. All three women love their respective partners; however, all three are also rejected by them because they each devote more to their men than their men are capable of returning. Desdemona and Emilia display genuine emotions toward each other that are not reflected in any of the male to male associations.

    Read More

  • Representation of Womens Roles in Society- Medea

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Women have always been disempowered due to their gender in modern and ancient times alike. In Corinth they are expected to run the household and conform to social expectations of a dutiful wife. Medea, being an immortal and descendant from the gods has a certain power in intelligence and sly cleverness. Being a foreigner, Medea’s wayward irrational behavior was expected in this play as she was not born in Greece and was seen as an exotic creature. She comes across to the audience as a powerful female character in terms of violence. Some of Medea’s reactions and choices appear to be blown out of proportion as authors generally make characters seem larger than life; this creates a better understanding of the text and the issues which are developed through the characters.

    Read More

  • Sigmund Freud Essay

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sigmund Freud is psychology’s most famous figure. He is also the most controversial and influential thinkers of the twentieth century. Freud’s work and theories helped to shape out views of childhood, memory, personality, sexuality, and therapy. Time Magazine referred to him as one of the most important thinkers of the last century. While his theories have been the subject of debate and controversy, his impact on culture, psychology, and therapy is cannot be denied.

    Read More

More about Sigmund Freud, The Wife Of Bath, And Medea

Open Document