Women's Role In Greek Tragedies

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The Role of Women in Greek Tragedy
The ancient Greek world was a male dominated society where plays were both written and performed by men, and women enjoyed little of the freedoms that men experienced. In spite of this many Greek tragedies portray woman as strong, powerful, intelligent, virtuous and noble. These qualities are especially exemplified in the plays written by Euripides and Sophocles and the rich characters they created. Works like “Alcestis”, “The Medea”, and “Antigone” all feature titular characters who show and embody the nobility and power of women. In the play “Alcestis” by Euripides the title character is a great example of a female character who displays the nobility of women. In the play, Alcestis, the wife Admetus, bravely …show more content…

Medea is another character who takes her fate into her own hands after being spurned by her husband Jason. As Jason leaves her for a younger woman and the king has her exiled from Corinth she fights for her vengeance. While a lesser woman might sink into despair and do as they are commanded by men around them, Medea uses her wits to seek revenge as well as arrange a new home for herself. “I am afraid of you- why should I dissemble it?- Afraid that you may injure my daughter morally. Many things accumulate to support my feeling. You are a clever woman, versed in evil arts, and are angry at having lost your husband’s love.” (The Medea 282-286) The king even admits to her that he fears her power and intelligence. Medea quickly uses her wits to plan out a revenge and successfully murders the king and his daughter, who was set to marry her husband. Then she murders her own children, and while this is not a virtuous act, it is an action that takes power and force of will. She struggles with the decision before finally finding the strength within herself to carry out her plan and successfully escape the city. Near the beginning of the play Medea delivers an impassioned speech about the reality of the role women are given in Greek society. “We women are the most unfortunate creatures. Firstly, with an excess of wealth it is required for us to buy a husband and take for our bodies a …show more content…

Antigone defies her king to give her recently deceased brother proper burial rights as commanded by her gods and dies for her beliefs. “I myself will bury him. It will be good to die, so doing. I shall lie by his side, loving him as he loved me; I shall be a criminal-but a religious one.”(Antigone 72-75) After the king denies a proper burial for her brother Antigone immediately decides to bury him anyway, both out of respect for their familial love and for her devotion to the gods. Antigone is pious to the point that she is willing to die for her convictions and shows great courage in her actions. Then when she is caught she does not lie or apologize for her actions but immediately owns up to them. “Yes, I confess; I will not deny my deed.” (Antigone 443) She completely owned her choices and actions and even in the face of death refuses to back down on her beliefs. “Don’t die with me, nor make your own what you have never touched. I that die am enough.” (Antigone 547-548) Then even as her sister offers to share the blame, Antigone refuses. Here she shows another virtue, honesty, even when a lie could help spare her life she refuses to lie. Her devotion to her family is shown her as well, although her sister is trying to help by sharing the blame, Antigone choices to bare the punishment alone. “The city mourns for this girl; they think she is dying most wrongly and most undeservedly of

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