Euripides's Role Of Women In Medea

In society, men and women are defined by gender roles throughout their activities and occupations. A doctor is typically portrayed as a man while most women are associated with the household and children. Although still in existence, today these roles are less defined but tend to have similar essence when compared to the past. In today’s society, females work, take part in the government and have a say in public and private decisions. Compared to ancient Greece, women suffered great tribulations and these current activities are unimaginable for a woman under the complete supervision of a male husband. In the play Medea by Euripides, the main characters Jason and Medea are atypical characters in many ways. Medea defies perceptions of the normal attitudes of men and women by overcoming her female emotions and performed acts that the Greeks considered unfeminine.

Medea has many untraditional characteristics for a woman who lived in the time of antient Greek. Medea’s is very headstrong and opinionated these aspects are none traditional in Greek standards. Women are only being incorporated into two roles: mothers and wives, nothing more. She defies her gender by exhibiting both male and female characteristics. Her ability to separate herself from her “womanly” emotions at times and perform acts that society does not see women capable of doing, further prove her ability to adapt to different situations. After marriage, women no longer have any control over their property. Therefore, any property those women possessed immediately had to be turned over to their husbands. However, because Medea got sent away

Medea: The River Runs Backwards, performed by the actors of Zen Zen Zo, explores the use of dance, interactive programs, contemporary performances and song. All of which act as fundamental components to convey the real life emotions of Euripides primeval Greek Theatre tragedy, Medea. It is through the incorporation of the dramatic languages such as roles and relationships, space and mood that the primary themes are highlighted to the audience. Voice and movement and stage craft also allow the audience to be challenged while simultaneously celebrating life through the dramatic meaning, which becomes prevailing over the course of the performance. Dramatic irony played a vital role in the performance execution as it generated suspense and curiosity, involved the audience, established a personal connection and triggered strong emotions. This dramatic technique was conveyed through the challenging of traditional roles of women and mothers.

Upon first reading this play, emotions of anger, disappointment, and relief swirled to the surface. The fact that Medea was to escape without any consequences angered me so much, but as I thought about it more, my emotions began to shift. It wasn’t as if Medea murdering her children was something she wanted to do. She had to have gone through so much to push her to that point. How can I better justify her actions and relate it to a 21st century audience?

When reaching the end of Muriel Rukheyser’s poem, “On Oedipus the King, Myth” Oedipus states, “When you say Man, you include women too.” He continues on, “That’s what you think.” The phrases are signifying are the similarities to women in both today’s society and the play. We can agree that the character of Oedipus states woman are equal, but their true role is brought up throughout the poem and presented in the

In Greek epics, tragedies, and mythology women are portrayed in various ways. Women are mainly considered to be weak and less important than men, but there are some women who are shown to be strong and heroic, despite the reputation that was placed onto them in Ancient Greek civilizations. There were two particular women that were strong and took the roles of their husbands while the men left to fight in the Trojan War. These two women were Penelope, wife of Odysseus, and Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon. These two women were different in how they chose to rule while their husbands were at war and how they acted once they got back. Penelope is considered to be the good wife and Clytemnestra is portrayed as the bad wife, for several reasons. Although it may be not be clear, the differences between being a good wife or a bad wife will be determined.

She was a princess and she didn’t have to do much day to day. The day she met Odysseus she was washing her clothes at the river. She had never seen this man before and he was completely naked and that shocked her. They talked for a bit and then she said “But now, since it is our land and our city that you have come to, you shall not lack for clothing nor anything else.” (6.191-193). She was so sweet, caring and willing to help this random man who she had never seen before. She took him to her home and she let him stay with her and her family and when it was time for him to leave she along with her family helped him build a boat sent him on his way with luck anything else he needed. The mortal women in Ancient Greek prided themselves on being kind, loyal and the perfect woman and each and every one of the three women was in their own different way.

In Euripides’ text The Medea, Medea can easily be painted as the villian. She is a woman who killed her own children in an attempt to spite her husband. But, by examining the text, we can see that she deserves some sympathy. She has little to no control over her own life and has to rely on the will of men. And as a foreigner in Corinth abandoned by her husband, she faces even more challenges than the native women of Corinth did. She is not blameless, in what she did, but she deserves some sympathy because of how she was immobilized by all the duties thrown on her by her society.

Medea was treated unfairly in the patriarchal society that she lived in and due to the circumstances she was forced to abide by, she sought to achieve her own form of justice. Women were mistreated and regarded as inferior to men. In fact, Medea mentioned how women were like foreigners forced to abide by their husband’s laws and remain subservient. Essentially, women were treated as outsiders and were thought to need constant protection from male figures. So, when the King of Corinth kicked her and her children out of Corinth and Jason left them, she wanted revenge since she felt she had been wronged. Thus, she formulated a systematic plan to achieve her agenda and to rectify the injustice that had occurred. Essentially, the King of Corinth

The Geek society had may guidelines concerning the way men and women were treated and the roles they played within society. “The concept of gender was an integral aspect of this social hierarchy; power was not evenly distributed and only men were allowed to participate in prestige activities such as politics, law, or the military” (“The Ure Museum”). The values of gender roles within the Greek society are expressed in the play Medea by Euripides. Though Euripides tried to show the disparities of how women are treated compared to men, he still uses some of the same stereotypes exhibited within Greek society. Some issues that will be discussed are the way the women are portrayed in Greek society. Explaining why the women are being treated unfairly and the outcomes that can happen to women in the Greek society. How men are portrayed in Greek society. Explaining why men have different expectations than women and the political aspects of the male gender role in Greek society. The effects of the non-traditional roles the men and women played in the Medea play. Also, discuss the

“Surely, of all creatures that have life and will, we women/ Are the most wretched” (Euripides 229-230).

Macbeth by William Shakespeare and Medea by Euripides are known for their powerful critiques on the social expectations of women. Women during the time of Elizabethan and Greek theatre were often stereotyped and considered the weaker sex. Men were depicted as strong individuals who supported and protected women. However, both Shakespeare and Euripides broke expectations by portraying strong and iconic female characters in their respective plays. The idea of a strong female character was often unheard of during the time of Elizabethan and Greek Theatre. Through the thematic comparison of Macbeth, and Medea; this essay demonstrates how Shakespeare

Euripedes portrays the central conflict between Medea and Jason as a resultant of Jason’s betrayal of his marriage to Medea, breaking the marriage vows and rejecting the sanctity of her nuptial bed for the politically motivated marriage with Creon’s daughter. The play, Medea, can be interpreted as a searing indictment of the institution of marriage. It is the desecration of this sacred institution by Jason that infuriates Medea and causes her to unleash her wrath upon Jason by committing filicide so as to leave him without sons to carry his family forward.

“Let death destroy Jason and Jason’s children! Let the whole ancestry of Jason be destroyed!” (Fredrick, 2015 , p. 18)

In the ancient era was the theater plays and a very central part of the future society. Usually written the dramas and love stories. A classic piece of antiquity is Medea, written by Euripides. The play 's fable is that a woman who learns that her husband has been cheating on her. Her ultimate revenge is to kill their own children. The theme is revenge because the whole play is about how Medea 's anger leads to her murder their own children to avenge her husband.