Can Medea Represent the Cause of Women in Society
Medea practice essay- by Thomas McKernan
Because Medea has supernatural powers she cannot represent the cause of women in society.
Euripides brazenly outlines that the essence of his play, “Medea,” will revolve around the denigrating role of women in a patriarchal society. “Medea: Of all creatures that can feel and think, we women are the worst treated things alive. (31)” The playwright uses metaphor and symbolism to translate his message of egalitarianism through his work. Euripides very much defies the laws of conventionality to enlighten the audience with a willful and powerful woman who carries the depleting burden of prejudice exemplified through the everyday manacles of misoginism and chauvinism. The play representing the cause of women in society illustrates that Medea is much more than a “wily woman” but a symbol of fear and admonition standing for a cause, the mistreatment of her kind.
In the days of Medea’s initial release, in ancient Greece (and specifically Athens) women weren’t allowed to indulge in such a pleasurable distraction as plays were, but rather occupy themselves with the drudging mundane instead. Euripides preaches the irreverent role of women to an all male audience; he attempts to evangelize by giving a voice to the otherwise subjugated gender. Euripides demonstrates the actuality that women should be as good as men, and goes so far as to predict a feministic uprising, “Chorus: One day the story will change: then shall the glory of women resound […] Reversing at last the sad reputation of ladies. (58)” The chorus, in the play, directly involves and exhibits the affairs of women in society as it candidly represents the cause of women by way of the Corinthian ladies.
The social hierarchy of ancient Greece places women one tier above slaves in order of respect, alienating and disregarding the value of women in return for maintaining tradition and suppression, “Medea: we [women] bid the highest price in dowries just to buy some
Because Medea has supernatural powers she cannot represent the cause of women in society.
Euripides brazenly outlines that the essence of his play, “Medea,” will revolve around the denigrating role of women in a patriarchal society. “Medea: Of all creatures that can feel and think, we women are the worst treated things alive. (31)” The playwright uses metaphor and symbolism to translate his message of egalitarianism through his work. Euripides very much defies the laws of conventionality to enlighten the audience with a willful and powerful woman who carries the depleting burden of prejudice exemplified through the everyday manacles of misoginism and chauvinism. The play representing the cause of women in society illustrates that Medea is much more than a “wily woman” but a symbol of fear and admonition standing for a cause, the mistreatment of her kind.
In the days of Medea’s initial release, in ancient Greece (and specifically Athens) women weren’t allowed to indulge in such a pleasurable distraction as plays were, but rather occupy themselves with the drudging mundane instead. Euripides preaches the irreverent role of women to an all male audience; he attempts to evangelize by giving a voice to the otherwise subjugated gender. Euripides demonstrates the actuality that women should be as good as men, and goes so far as to predict a feministic uprising, “Chorus: One day the story will change: then shall the glory of women resound […] Reversing at last the sad reputation of ladies. (58)” The chorus, in the play, directly involves and exhibits the affairs of women in society as it candidly represents the cause of women by way of the Corinthian ladies.
The social hierarchy of ancient Greece places women one tier above slaves in order of respect, alienating and disregarding the value of women in return for maintaining tradition and suppression, “Medea: we [women] bid the highest price in dowries just to buy some