Misogyny In Medea Essay

Most of ancient Greek plays were written during the Golden Age (5 Century, 500 B.C.E) way before the creation of gender. The Greeks were only aware of male and female autonomy, yet this concept of gender has somehow been slightly introduced. Ancient Greek drama was performed by a company of all men meaning that men were responsible for performing female characters. Part of playing a female role involved cross dressing. This means that male actors would use costumes and masks to physically embody a female character. The Greeks has strict views on gender; however, why would gender performance be allowed in a patriarch society? Examining patriarchy and misogyny in ancient Greek drama give us an insight on why plays were written as they are known …show more content…
Before her situation appeared she was completely satisfied with her being a house wife, it is until all of that is taken away from is when she becomes crazed. By examining the patriarchy and misogyny presented in Medea we are able to comprehend and exploit Medea true intention and desires. Similar to Medea we can take a male character and examine his motivations/ desires as well through the lenses of patriarchy and misogyny. In Medea there is Creon who acts for the greater good, he seeks and demand justice. Before his daughter’s death Creon wants to banish Medea from Corinth land. He is knowing that Medea poses as a threat to him and his family.
He does not trust Medea; he calls veil names such as a “witch” through out the …show more content…
During this time period we learn that patriarch is trying to create uplift men and help them become someone better; therefore, one last important reason for studying patriarchy and misogyny in Ancient Greek Drama is understanding underlying messages that are presented within the text. Similar to behavior the Greeks had subliminal messages within their plays, even if they were not there on purpose they sometimes questioned traditional values. Returning to the play Medea by Euripides. Although modern interruptions like to view Medea as this strong amazing woman, she hardly that. The women were regarded as a lower order of beings, neglected by nature in comparison with man, both in point of intellect and heart; incapable of taking part in public life, naturally prone to evil, and fitted only for propagating the species and gratifying the sensual appetites of the men" (Becker 463).”Medea was a warning to those in the audience particularly men seeing most your playwrights were writing for a male audience. Medea is literally witch which in Ancient Greece was their version of the devil. It would make sense to have women in portrayed in such a veil light, men are running the everything in the country it is totally patriarchy. They were basically brainwashing men into thinking women are evil and conniving. Even in Oedipus I feel that Jocasta is not necessarily completely painted as evil