Medea and feminism. In defence of Medea: a feminist reading of the so 2022-10-31
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Medea is a play by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides that tells the story of a woman who takes extreme revenge on her husband after he betrays her by marrying another woman. The character of Medea has been interpreted in many different ways over the years, but one interpretation that has gained particular prominence in recent times is that of Medea as a feminist hero.
There are several reasons why Medea might be seen as a feminist hero. One of the main reasons is that she is a woman who takes control of her own life and refuses to be controlled by men. In ancient Greece, women were expected to be subservient to men and were not allowed to make their own decisions. Medea, however, defies these expectations and makes her own decisions, even if they go against the wishes of the men in her life. She is a strong and independent woman who is not afraid to stand up for herself and to assert her own autonomy.
Another reason why Medea might be seen as a feminist hero is that she takes revenge on her husband, Jason, for betraying her. Jason is a classic example of the "unfaithful husband" trope, and many feminists would argue that Medea's revenge is justified given the harm that Jason has inflicted on her. In taking revenge, Medea is not only standing up for herself, but also for all women who have been wronged by men. She is a symbol of resistance against male oppression and a beacon of hope for women who have been wronged by the men in their lives.
Finally, Medea's willingness to go to great lengths to seek revenge, even if it means killing her own children, can be seen as a commentary on the double standard that exists for men and women. Men are often praised for taking extreme measures to seek revenge, but when a woman does the same thing, she is often vilified and seen as a monster. Medea's willingness to go to such lengths can be seen as a challenge to this double standard and a refusal to be held to a different standard than men.
Overall, the character of Medea can be seen as a feminist hero because she is a strong and independent woman who takes control of her own life and refuses to be controlled by men. She is also a symbol of resistance against male oppression and a beacon of hope for women who have been wronged by the men in their lives. Finally, her willingness to go to great lengths to seek revenge challenges the double standard that exists for men and women and refuses to be held to a different standard than men.
Feminism in Medea by Euripides Essay
No matter the outcome of the play, Euripides writes it so there is a certain level of connection with Medea in the beginning of the play, so the viewer can watch as she releases herself from the male control. Medea is the tragic story of a woman who was shunned and she had skillful attack. However if you go deeper you can see that her refusal to comply, compromise or moderate her vengeance for the sake of the happiness, mercy or comfort of others, especially Jason, puts her on a pedestal of feminist ideals; she unashamedly parades her feelings about the given situation, no matter how hysterical they may seem, this freedom of personal expression being something that women for centuries have been encouraged, nay, pressured into censoring for the sake of male comfort. Both of the main characters, Medea and Jason, possess qualities that conform to the gender expectations of ancient Greece, and it would be unsurprising if audiences of this play in ancient times viewed the two characters as traditional portrayals of a woman and a man. Has much as she has done for him she would have never thought that Jason would have shamed her in the way that he did.
Equality should not be perceived as an opinion, but as a right. They were traditionally confined to the roles of housekeeper, mother, mistress, wife, etc. Contrary to the typical Greek depiction of women who are designed to tend to the hearth and are actually more victimized by men than anything else, Medea is not this. Throughout the many themes of Medea, feminism plays a large role. Female Acts in Greek Tragedy.
The Effects Of Feminism In Medea: Free Essay Example, 1311 words
During this time, women were seen and treated as second-class citizens whose sole purpose in life is to bear children. We have to emphasize the prefix "proto," since the word "feminism" did not really enter the Western lexicon until the nineteenth century. Thus the seeds of Medea as feminist are sought in the Greek tragedy. Medea also goes against Greek tradition by leaving Corinth after marrying Jason and going with him to another country a taboo. So it is seen that the character lives and changes as time passes.
The dialogue between Medea and Jason is significant in that it shows the obliviousness of men to the plight of women. In stark contrast, Eve is described as a blessing to man and as a helpmeet-opposite ezer kenegdo. The explanation behind why Euripides used multiple sea and sun references was due to the placement of Corinth. Medea is just touching on her anger that she has built up within her for her husband. She shares qualities of a traditional male at the time, and the qualities of a traditional female.
She explicitly recounts all she has done for Jason. Silence is a woman's glory; many men believed, and still do, by making as much noise as possible Medea creates her own female glory, one not designed and designated by mankind. Medea's behaviour and Euripedes' cause for writing the novel come across fairly similarly. His argument, however, is completely ignorant of the experience of Medea as a woman losing her husband. Feminism is the theory of men being treated differently than women and the male dominance over women in society. From these considerations it should be clear what seasons, times, dispositions and ages are easily moved to anger… 144.
Along the time that the story of Medea took place; the society often placed many women into yielding roles. Flesh of your flesh! The language at that time towards women had many patriarchal characteristics. Medea uses her feminine wiles to gain power over others which includes channelling spirits and using herbs for potions. Her story is not uncommon, the betrayal of a spouse and the desire for revenge. There have been a large variation of accounts and other tales with heroines or strong female protagonists yet when we trace back the lineage of feminism Euripedes is what comes to mind, Euripedes, along with Aristotle, were some of the first to pose the questions and core values that most modern feminists identify with, and Medea is one of the first pieces of text that embodies said values. Some issues that will be discussed are the way the women are portrayed in Greek society.
Unfortunately, while the presentation of this piece could certainly cause a discomfort among male audience members, it equally might encourage greater suspicion and scorn by males of females. Essay On Gender Roles In Medea By Euripides 799 Words 4 Pages The Geek society had may guidelines concerning the way men and women were treated and the roles they played within society. Essentially, women were treated as outsiders and were thought to need constant protection from male figures. In Brittney Cooper's article on internal conflicts within feminism, especially interracial, she writes Liberal feminisms still center around equality. Rather, I will consider the narrower but related issue of how—with what words and weapons—Medea enacts her revenge on Jason. Medea emotionally battles between her desire for independence and her motherliness throughout the play.
Then, Creon banishes Medea and her two sons from Corinth. However when one realises that any man who reads Medea is more likely to only see the side of her victims and subsequently draw biased and misguided conclusions about who women really are, we see that the play and her character only serve to further segregate the two genders. . This notion is very apparent within the play, it was at the point which Medea learns of her exile that one can imagine this occurring to her. Killing your children is barbaric, and even though Ancient Greece was akin to barbarians and violence, the cold-blooded murder of your own offspring was still looked upon as shocking and unforgivable.
Medea illuminates the struggle of the Athenian women and housewife of that time. We can see the influence of Aristotle or possibly vice versa in this play, when it comes to who should rule a household and who should be ruled it is clear that Medea is challenging this, as Aristotle says Ought a woman to be temperate and brave and just, these are three qualities that stand out the most within Medea's character. Anxiety Veiled: Euripides and the Traffic in Women. Written around 431 BCE, the playwright, Euripides was only awarded third place out of three at the annual Athenian Dionysia festival. It is a question any feminist must ask themselves and others and constantly remember in order to progress.
Jason is the victim in this tragic grouping of events. This list might easily be extended, but the three examples cited above should give you some idea of how the play might be read as a proto-feminist work. Medea has great control over her servants her sorcery skills as well as authority over Jason because he fears Medea. Medea can be easily perceived to be a victim of …show more content… It is apparent that to some extent, Medea like all other women, are mere fodder of the patriarchal society in Corinth. Basically, it was alleged, she lacked the talent to master logic or rhetoric, the practical intellect to deal with ethical or political concerns.
