Essay Sample: The Role of Women in Medea by Euripides

📌Category: Human rights, Social Issues
📌Words: 506
📌Pages: 2
📌Published: 02 April 2022

Texts that address prevalent issues regarding the human condition and promoting the importance of social values maintain relevance for multiple generations. In his 5th Century BCE play, Euripides appropriates the vindictive Medea myth to confront his audience with an understanding of the civilisation’s disempowering of women. He cunningly utilises the chorus, “A time comes when the female sex is honoured” to challenge a woman’s archetypal role within society and her submissiveness, which evokes a sense of revenge in Medea, assisting her to accomplish the murder of her children.  The memorable finale with Medea taking her two dead sons in a deus ex machina highlights the causal link between the treatment of women in his society and the potential consequences brought to the individuals involved. Highly controversial at its time of performance, the very idea of such a dreadful consequence remains applicable in today’s society. T.S. Elliot’s contention, quite deeply reflects the timeless nature of Euripides’ warning and the need to broadcast it to successive generations. The play provides valuable insights, particularly into the feminine psyche and their ability to act outside the moral strictures of the day. Especially, when completely dominated by the patriarchy.  Greek values of the time underlined the vulnerability which a wife had towards her husband. This idea, which remains present in today’s society, is however challenged by Medea repeatedly. Euripides presents Medea to be in a commanding position in which she has nothing more to lose. So powerful, that her paradoxical statement, “We were born women-useless for honest purposes, But in all kinds of evil skilled practitioners,” highlights her god-like ability to strive for vengeance, despite the powerful patriarchy which surrounds her, including her husband and King Creon. The text, although set during a male dominating society, its message regarding the rights of women remains relevant today, through the revolution of feminism.  
Composers expose their personal views, focusing on values they feel should have priority within the society, through literature. Euripides explores this idea by presenting his opinions on society through Medea’s use of power. She questions the typical status by suggesting through her monologue, “I’d rather stand three times in the front line than bear one child.”. Euripides, although a male himself supports the minority of that time; women. He bases his play in a world revolving around male political dominion. Yet he incorporates bold characters, who change the substitute balance of power. The idea of the final result, which Jean-Luc Godard mentions, is portrayed through the dramatic irony when Medea persuades Jason to accept the gifts, which overall leads to numerous deaths.  The playwright’s daring to go against the patriarchal society, and to compose a play that was dominated by a female figure, was presumably the reason for why it acclaimed third prize. Society was simply just not prepared to consider Euripides' opinion regarding the strength which female figures can possess. He represents this through Jason’s dialogue, and his demeaning view on the role of a woman, “ My children out of mere sexual jealousy…” He trivialises the anger that Medea justly feels when women are considered sexually unattractive, they tend to rage, acting unconsciously; linking to the generalised viewpoint of women that time. Euripides, however, takes the risk and presents his controversial perception of that time, to compose an impressive play.

 

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