Euripides and Women

1
Euripides and Women

• By examining the treatment of women, Euripides
  points out the injustices of his society and
  attempts to make a point about this injustice.
• Euripides recognizes that many of the works of
  his time defamed womens character and that they
  reinforced male-dominated order by teaching women
  to accept (and even enjoy) subordination

2
Elevating the Status of the Oppressed

• Women and servants are represented in a way that
  defies traditional Ancient Greek values
• The Nurse and Tutor express their views (even
  when their views, if known, could cause them
  harm)
• The Tutor is privy to information that the
  protagonist does not yet have

3
Giving a Voice to the Oppressed

• The Chorus of Corinthian Women, the Nurse, and
  Medea all express their opinion of Medeas
  situation with Jason (this opinion defies the
  norms of Ancient Greek society)
• All female characters are seen in public, without
  the representation of a male
• Medea inspires fear within a male, who is also a
  king
• Medea is more clever than the males in the story
  (she successfully manipulates Creon, Jason, and
  Aegeus)

4
Euripides and Medea

• Medea is clearly presented as a self-centered,
  fiercely proud, ruthless woman
• Her force, intellect, and strength of will all
  exceed her place in society
• Her ruthlessness, cunning, power, and brilliance
  would all be admirable traits in a male but her
  position of weakness, not ruler or warrior, warp
  these qualities.
• Having a female anti-hero in Ancient Greece was
  unheard of

5
Euripides and Jason

• Euripides takes Jason, a known hero of Greek
  stories, and creates in him an unremarkable,
  despicable person.
• He is portrayed as opportunistic, shallow, smug,
  and condescending.
• Virtually everyone feels for Medeas situation,
  which in turn reveals their judgment against
  Jason.

6
The Importance of Oaths and Vows

• Zeus is a protector of oaths, so Jason will have
  to face his wrath (this is how the Chorus of
  Corinthian women try to reason with Medea)
• The Chorus of Corinthian women are bound by their
  promise to Medea to keep her plans of betrayal
  secret
• Medea uses the power of the oath to manipulate
  Aegeus he must allow her to live with him as
  well as protect her from her enemies, if she can
  find a way to Athens

7
The Main Point

• By granting unlimited self-absorption and
  ruthlessness to a woman, Euripides exposes the
  traits for what they really are.
• Euripides does not give a tragedy where our
  heroine learns a lesson from a downfall. No
  redeeming transformation will take place, there
  is no epiphany, merely emotional release through
  the alter ego.

8
Contemporary Psychology and Medea

• The Alter-Ego Medea also speaks of our own
  desires to seek revenge to the fullest. She taps
  into our secret unfulfilled fantasies, and
  perhaps, this is why her story remains one of the
  most popular today.
• The Medea Complex Psychologically Murderous
  hatred by a mother for her child or children,
  arising from a desire for revenge on her husband

9
Deus Ex Machina

• Medeas rescue by Helios (Titan Sun God) is an
  example of Deus Ex Machina
• The idea is centered around savior by an unseen
  force
• Aristotle, It is obvious that the solutions of
  plots too should come about as a result of the
  plot itself, and not from a contrivance, as in
  Medea."

• Defined as God from the Machine
• Comes from the use of the machine on stage
• Aristotle ? Spectacle

10
After the Play

• Medea marries Aegeus, has son named Medus
• Tries to poison Aegeus first son Theseus (fails
  is banished)
• Goes back to Colchis, helps father get kingdom
  back, Medus eventually becomes King of Colchis
• Eventually becomes immortal

• Jason dies alone, in obscurity
• The Gods anger causes a piece of his own ship to
  fall on him

11
Final thoughts

• It has been suggested that by scholars that Medea
  often speaks with Euripides rage. His works
  were not received well by his contemporaries. A
  man too clever for those around him, as Medea was
  too clever for those around her. Its possible
  that Medeas unbridled revenge is Euripides
  unbridled revenge against his contemporaries.