Tragedy Essay (Euripides & Sophocles): Women
To what extent do Euripides and Sophocles portray women as the cause of tragedy in Medea, Hippolytus, Oedipus The King and Antigone?
Women in the plays of both Euripides and Sophocles is a subject of much debate, indeed it seems as though people’s view on these female characters may well have changed over time for nearly two and a half thousand years have passed since the plays themselves were written. And no doubt people’s views, particularly with regards to women, have changed. One could say that in Ancient Greek times they may have seen women as the cause of tragedy no matter how they were portrayed, whereas nowadays we are more likely to see them less as the cause, and more or less as the tragedies themselves.
Of course, Medea is arguably the most prominent female character out of all four plays. One can certainly say that Medea instigates much of the tragedy that occurs in the play; killing Glauce and Creon then followed by her murdering her children. Unspeakable acts that no doubt appear to condemn the violent passions and frenzy of women. Yet Medea’s actions are the consequence of Jason’s pride and hubris and desire and status which he endeavours to satisfy through marrying Glauce and effectively leaving Medea and their children behind. And as a result Medea’s hatred has “corroded everything.” Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Medea is her decision to choose to satisfy her desire for revenge and selfish future needs rather than preserve the lives of her children. But Euripides makes this almost inextricable as to whether we can wholeheartedly condemn Medea. For in contemplating the murder of her children we see very much that she does love them; she talks to herself saying “do not think how very much you love your children, how you gave them birth.” This provokes our sympathy for her internal pain, but she does indeed conclude that her children “must die.”
Nevertheless it is very much understood that an Athenian audience would not have had
Women in the plays of both Euripides and Sophocles is a subject of much debate, indeed it seems as though people’s view on these female characters may well have changed over time for nearly two and a half thousand years have passed since the plays themselves were written. And no doubt people’s views, particularly with regards to women, have changed. One could say that in Ancient Greek times they may have seen women as the cause of tragedy no matter how they were portrayed, whereas nowadays we are more likely to see them less as the cause, and more or less as the tragedies themselves.
Of course, Medea is arguably the most prominent female character out of all four plays. One can certainly say that Medea instigates much of the tragedy that occurs in the play; killing Glauce and Creon then followed by her murdering her children. Unspeakable acts that no doubt appear to condemn the violent passions and frenzy of women. Yet Medea’s actions are the consequence of Jason’s pride and hubris and desire and status which he endeavours to satisfy through marrying Glauce and effectively leaving Medea and their children behind. And as a result Medea’s hatred has “corroded everything.” Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Medea is her decision to choose to satisfy her desire for revenge and selfish future needs rather than preserve the lives of her children. But Euripides makes this almost inextricable as to whether we can wholeheartedly condemn Medea. For in contemplating the murder of her children we see very much that she does love them; she talks to herself saying “do not think how very much you love your children, how you gave them birth.” This provokes our sympathy for her internal pain, but she does indeed conclude that her children “must die.”
Nevertheless it is very much understood that an Athenian audience would not have had