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Themes of Madea

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Themes of Madea
There are many themes that are shown in “Medea”. In my opinion, the three main themes that give it meaning in modern life is what makes the play worth reading. The themes make it relevant to read even in this day and age. The first main theme that is shown in “Medea” is the women’s place in society. In the play, you could see the current position of women in the city of Athens. The women were not seen as a vital part of society and due to this mindset, they were not seen as a valuable commodity in the society as well. All along through the play, you see the hardships of women and that also relates to today’s society. Women have made strides even today to be treated equally and their rights still is a important topic today. Euripides showed this throughout the play and showed how Medea really defied this position of women and didn’t accept the position she was given in society. This is why the women’s place in society is a major theme throughout the play that still relates to many aspects of society today. The second major theme is passion. The passion of love that Medea shows in the play is tremendous. Euripides shows this passion in different ways. In the beginning of the play, the passion that Medea had for Jason was great. She loves him so much that she was willing to give up everything she had. However, later in the play, after Jason deceives Medea, this passion turns negative. She shows extreme emotion throughout the play which is also why this is another major theme. Lastly, what makes this play meaningful to modern life is the theme of Greatness or Hubris. Since the society of Athens was so interested in the concept of Hubris, Euripides shows the qualities of a Hubris character in Medea at the beginning of the play. That later on however is turned around and shows Medea as the exact opposite. Greatness is still in today’s society which makes the play relatable to today’s modern life. This is also why this is a major theme to the play “Medea”.

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Bibliography: 1. Medea." Major Themes . Gradesaver, 1999. Web. 24 Feb 2011. . 2. "Medea." Major Themes . Shmoop University, 2011. Web. 24 Feb 2011.
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