While I enjoyed how Mills analyzed Medea’s action by bringing up relevant information regarding her historic roots and comparing her to several similar Greek characters, I disagreed with his heavy emphasis on her celestiality. She certainly does implore many aspects that a witch or mystical spirit would exhibit, such as her use of herbs and her method of escape, but I don’t think it is appropriate to blame her act of vengeance on aspects of alienation from humanity. Because Euripides’ intention of writing this play was to compel his audience to question social norms and gender roles in society, I don’t think he would have crafted Medea in a way that cast her outside of the human realm. While it certainly would have not been socially accepted
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Show MoreOne can hardly deny that in Euripides’ plays women are often portrayed as weak, uncertain, and torn between what they must do and what they can bring themselves to do. Other women appear to be the root of grave evils, or simply perpetrators of heinous crimes. In a day when analysis of characters and plot had yet to be invented, it is easy to see why he might have been thought to be very much against women. However, when looking back with current understanding of what Euripides was doing at the time, armed with knowledge of plot devices and Socratic philosophy, this argument simply does not hold up. In fact, a very strong argument can be made to the opposite, that Euripides was in fact very much in support of women’s rights, and thought they were treated unfairly.
The plays Antigone and Lysistrata contain aspects that can represent similarities and differences. In these plays, the protagonists are women, Lysistrata, and Antigone, who are both resilient and courageous women who challenge the gender roles of their time. However, one aspect that makes these plays different from each other is the communicated thought of who is exactly is the proper woman. In the time period of when these two plays were written, women basically had no basic rights they were to follow proper concepts expected of a woman of that age. Nevertheless, in these plays when these roles were challenged, one ended tragically while the other ended with expected results and it’s of course, because each of the protagonists took different
After the phallic stage is the latent period, where the sexual energy is suppressed due to the development of the ego and superego. Children become more concerned with peer relationships, hobbies, and other interests (Furnham). In this stage, Medea attempts to represses her sexual anger at Jason, almost deciding against killing her children. Despite her attempt, she is unable to transcend this stage. The last stage is the genital stage, where the focus of the child transitions from individual needs to the interest of the welfare of others. The individual should be well-balanced, warm, and caring (Furnham). Based on her behavior, Medea doesn’t reach the enlightenment that is supposed to come with the genital stage because she doesn’t reconcile
Medea was first performed in 431 BCE at the City Dionysia festival. Here every year three playwrights competed against each other, each writing a tetralogy of four tragedies and a satyr play (alongside Medea were Philoctetes, Dictys and the satyr play Theristai). In 431 BCE the competition was between Euphorion (the son of famed playwright Aeschylus, Sophocles (Euripides ' main rival) and Euripides. Euphorion won, and Euripides placed last.
For as long as humans have roamed the Earth, misogyny has been an everyday part of life. Some countries have handled it better than others, but misogyny faces every community. In Euripides tragedy Medea, the main character Medea struggles with the misogynistic views constantly facing the society in which she resides. Euripides uses Medea to convey misogyny.
In ancient Greece, women lacked many of the fundamental rights held by men. Medea feels that this is unjust. These feelings are shown on page 195 when Medea states “...we must pay a great dowry to a husband who will be the tyrant of our bodies; and there is another fearful hazard: whether we shall get a good man or a bad. For separations bring disgrace on the woman and it is not possible to renounce one’s husband…” After being rejected by the one she loved, she beings to question the morals of those around her. She assumes that Greek women are weak and naive for allowing men to treat them this way; allowing men to cast them away at their heart’s content.
Centuries of traditions has enabled men and women to define gender roles in society. Although some critics declare gender roles do not exist today, others believe they do. In society, men and women are defined by gender roles throughout their activities and emotions. A doctor is typically portrayed by a male while women rear the children and cook for the men. However, although still in existence, today these roles are less obvious but tend to have similar meaning when compared to the past. In ancient Greece, women suffered great hardships. Currently, females work, vote, and run for office. In comparison to ancient Greece, these activities are a phenomenal leap from being under the direct supervision of a male husband.
Medea aids Jason in completing several dangerous tasks, in the process Medea falls in love with Jason and she dishonors her family by killing her brother to please and protect Jason.
The exchange that takes place between Medea and the Chorus serves several purposes in Euripides' tragedy, The Medea. It allows us to sympathize with Medea in spite of her tragic flaws. It also foreshadows the tragic events that will come to pass. Finally, it contrasts rationality against vengeance and excess. The Chorus offers the sane view of the world to the somewhat insane characters of Medea, Jason, and Creon. As the passage begins on page 176, the leader of the Chorus reveals that she has high regards for Medea despite the fact that she is "savage still." She acknowledges Medea as a foreigner and an outsider and yet is sympathetic towards her. This alliance is apparently based on female bonds rather than on any kind of national loyalty. Medea wastes no time before she begins lamenting and cursing those who "dared wrong me without cause." The Chorus tries to comfort Medea, hoping that this might "lessen her fierce rage / And her frenzy of spirit." They show real concern for her well-being, as well as for the well-being of her loved ones. This unselfish attitude is in stark contrast to the attitudes of the main characters in the tragedy, who all seem to be extremely self-serving. So in just a few short lines, it's already become apparent that while the chorus doesn't necessarily agree with the way that Medea is handling her situation, they are sticking by her and supporting her. This idea supports one of the important themes of the play: the battle of the sexes. Medea now has a chance to get a few things off her chest. She addresses the "Women of Corinth," reminding them that of "all things that live upon the earth and have intelligence we women are certainly the most wretched." She discusses the sad lot that women must deal with in marriage and again stresses the fact that she is an outsider, "alone, without / a city. Her speech is clever and compelling.
The Evil Character Medea in Euripides' Medea. Euripides created a two-headed character in this classic tragedy. Medea begins her marriage as the ideal loving wife who sacrificed much for her husband's safety. At the peak of the reading, she becomes a murderous villain that demands respect and even some sympathy.
Many different interpretations can be derived from themes in Euripides's The Bacchae, most of which assume that, in order to punish the women of Thebes for their impudence, the god Dionysus drove them mad. However, there is evidence to believe that another factor played into this confrontation. Because of the trend of male dominance in Greek society, women suffered in oppression and bore a social stigma which led to their own vulnerability in becoming Dionysus's target. In essence, the Thebian women practically fostered Dionysian insanity through their longing to rebel against social norms. Their debilitating conditions as women prompted them to search for a way to transfigure themselves with male qualities in order to abandon their social subordination.
The Euripides Play Medea the character of Medea does fit Aristotle’s Percepts because of the Aristotelian arc which States that a Character must be of a high class, must be relate able, and actions must follow that of the class they are in. [Aristotle Poetics]
Medea first acknowledges an injustice to women in her outcries to the daughter of Zeus, in which the
In the play written by Euripides, Medea refuses Jason the right to bury his children. Jason pleads Medea, "give me the bodies to bury and to mourn"(111). Medea denies Jason, "no I will not I will bury themselves." The quote represents the difference in power between Jason and Medea. Jason and Medea completely switch gender roles, as at the beginning Jason is the one that hold the power in the relationship; however, by the end of the play Medea is the one in control. Medea rejecting Jason request to bury his own children is a symbol of Medea challenging patriarchy, as she is the one who has advantage and she is the one who power over Jason. Similarly, in Agamemnon, Clytemnestra also displaces power when she is talking to the Chorus, "If we end of suffering, we can be content broken as we are by the brute heel of angry destiny. Thus, a woman speaks among you. Shall men deign to understand?" (Source, 244). This passage shows the power that Clytemnestra possesses. She is displaying her power as she is directly confronting both Aegisthus and the Chorus to stop fighting. In this passage, she is portrayed as someone who is logical and in control, traits that are synonymous with males. She challenging the idea that women are not fit to be in power because they are too emotional and irrational. Ironically, she (a woman) is most reasonable one (and the most powerful) person
In Euripides ' play, Medea, tells a short story of the sufferings of a woman 's marriage life. In the play, Euripides develops the character, Medea , who is mentally abused by her husband, Jason, to show how women are mistreated in the Greek society. Jason 's action of leaving his wife and marrying the princess causes Medea suffering and shows us his selfishness. Jason also is not a good father figure to his own sons causing Medea to take care of them herself and taking all the burden. This shows us Jason is uncaring towards Medea and his sons. Lastly, Jason did not help Medea with problems that they’re having, this seems like he is excluding them from his life and everything else.