How Is Medea Similar

Two of Euripides’ plays, Medea and Alcestis have many similar themes, but with many differences. They deal with topics such as the role of women and their expectations by men. The characters are very similar in many aspects, but different when it comes to actions and expectations.
Medea and Alcestis have many similarities, but are about as different as can be when it comes to the expectations of women in Ancient Greece. Alcestis is the personification of the perfect woman, loving, caring for her children, obedient, loyal, everything a Greek man could want in a wife. She is willing to sacrifice herself to save her family, even when both her husband and her father-in-law wouldn’t. “How could she not be the best! Who shall deny it? What should the best among women be? How better might a woman hold faith to her lord than gladly to die for him?” (Euripides, 6) Medea has many of these qualities, but in a completely different way. She loves, in that she completely devoted her life to Jason and his quest. She cares for her children, even if it means killing them to spare them a life of shame. …show more content…
Jason and Admetus, the husbands of the two, were also comparable. Jason was the man Medea devoted her life to. She gave him help as a sorceress and in return, he married her. However, he betrayed his loyalty to her soon after and chose to be married again. He expected Medea to be complacent and helpful in his decision, and to stay loyal to him. He required a very difficult thing, considering Medea’s personality. However, that is nothing compared to what Admetus asked of Alcestis. When he could not find someone to take his place in the underworld, Alcestis stepped up and offered herself. Even though he did not want his wife to die, he did not stop her and therefore, she died in his place. Both women loved their husbands so much, they gave up everything for them, and therefore lost