Euripides Support of Women’s Rights Essay - 4032 Words

Euripides Support of Women’s Rights One can hardly deny that in Euripides’ plays women are often portrayed as weak, uncertain, and torn between what they must do and what they can bring themselves to do. Other women appear to be the root of grave evils, or simply perpetrators of heinous crimes. In a day when analysis of characters and plot had yet to be invented, it is easy to see why he might have been thought to be very much against women. However, when looking back with current understanding of what Euripides was doing at the time, armed with knowledge of plot devices and Socratic philosophy, this argument simply does not hold up. In fact, a very strong argument can be made to the opposite, that Euripides was in fact†¦show more content†¦To better understand this difference, a more in depth explanation of the art of tragedy is necessary. Tragedy was unique of all the forms of Greek art; it was seen as the only combination of the two â€Å"classes† of art. These two classes are named afte r Apollo and Dionysus, the two Greek art deities (Nietzsche 1). The Apollonian influence was seen as the art of things of form and structure, the molding or creation of something tangible. The Dionysian, on the other hand, was seen as the more plastic arts, music in particular, where the art lies as much in the performance as the conception. The Apollonian was seen as a creation brought on by a dream-like state, perhaps induced by a god or sleep, while the Dionysian is usually attributed to high spirits, such as drunkenness (Nietzsche 1). As stated before, Tragedy was the unique combination of these two art influences. The Apollonian influence is seen in the writing of the play, as well as in its tangible aspects, the stage and costumes, for instance. The Dionysian art is represented by the music and by the exclusive nature of each performance (Nietzsche 2). The way Nietzsche saw it, the epitome of this was represented by the work of Sophocles and Aeschylus (Nietzsche 42). Euripides represented something contrary to the art of tragedy in the way it had been previously implemented. It is well documented that Euripides consorted withShow MoreRelatedCompare And Contrast Jason And Medea1148 Words   |  5 Pagesorg/stable/20546591. Accessed 12 Sept. 2017. This article explores the laws of marriage in Roman culture. While both Euripides and Seneca hold two of the most acclaimed versions, Laura Abrahamsen describes how Seneca’s version may be best suited in representing a Roman retelling of the legend and how the traditional social constructs may have added to a negative perception of Medea. Ackah, Kofi. â€Å"Euripides’ Medea and Jason: A Study in the Social Power of Love.† Phronimon, vol. 18, 2017, pp. 31–43., upjournalsRead More Contrasting Gender Differences in in Medea versus Wide Sargasso Sea1722 Words   |  7 Pagesin the 19th and early 20th Century. Masculine attributes in Euripides time were more along the lines of being valiant, heroic, noble, dominant (over women,) politically powerful, assertive, and competitive. The 19th Century white British male was also expected to be domestically and politically dominant, stiff upper lipped, virile, authoritative, somewhat forbidding... patriarchal. Though written millennia apart, both Euripides Medea, and Rhyss Wide Sargasso Sea portray the subjugationRead MoreGender Discrimination : A Feminist Heroine1545 Words   |  7 Pagesand we have all grown accustomed to it and that is where the problem lies. Women do not have equal right in their roles in society and it’s high time that we eliminate discrimination against women. In Euripides play Medea , he challenges the most influential views of femininity in the predominately male governed society during the Ancient Greek era. During this time period women had very few rights and the men were the most dominant. Women were considered to be very weak and passive yet thereRead MoreEssay about Women in Greek Stories: The Odyssey by Homer725 Words   |  3 PagesWomen living in Ancient Greece had limited rights, if any, and were treated as property, owned by either their father or husband. They were never allowed to enter battle and their job was to keep to household in order. However, in Greek stories, women were given a major role and showed strength, wit, and cunning unusual to the stereotypical woman of the time. The Greek writers used women who possessed these traits to progress the plot and evoke the emotions famous in Greek drama and tragediesRead MoreGender Inequality Throughout Ancient Greece1577 Words   |  7 Pagesand we have all grown ac customed to it and that is where the problem lies. Women do not have equal right in their roles in society and it’s high time that we eliminate discrimination against women. In Euripides play Medea , he challenges the most influential views of femininity in the predominately male governed society during the Ancient Greek era. During this time period women had very few rights and the men were the most dominant. Women were considered to be very weak and passive yet thereRead MoreThe Role Of Women During The Athenian Society1350 Words   |  6 Pageswomen in Athenian society, which will show the portrayal of women and how Athenian men treated them. This paper will also go into detail as to whether a history of women is possible in Athenian society. Additionally, showing the importance of civil rights, marriage, sex birth, domestic roles, prostitution, priestess, slaves, children and death burial in the world of Athenian women. 1. Introduction To introduce this research paper, I would like to open with words of Muriel Rukeyser (Kossman (edRead MoreAnalysis of the Bacchae1843 Words   |  8 PagesTo this day scholars offer a number of different interpretations of Euripides’ The Bacchae. This essay will argue the centrality of ‘sophia’ (wisdom) and its opposite ‘amathia’, similar to the interpretation offered by Arrowsmith and Dodds: that the central idea of The Bacchae is that wisdom – possession of humility, acceptance and self-knowledge, encompassed by the Greek word ‘sophia’ – is the greatest and most necessary quality humanity can possess in the face of godly power. In particular thisRead MoreEssay on The Lives of Athenian Women1880 Words   |  8 Pagesconcerning the roles of women within the Greek polis. The so-called Athenian democracy only benefited a fraction of the entire population. At least half of this population was female, yet women seem to have ha d very little influence and few official civic rights. `The position of women...is a subject which has provoked much controversy. (Lacey: 1968, 151). Studies concerning the lives of women in classical Athens have sparked much controversy because, despite the apparent fascination with femininityRead MoreConflict Between Male And Female Characters2154 Words   |  9 Pagesmale characters. In comedy, such sexual role reversals are found aplenty, emphasised and made comic by cross-dressing whilst in tragedy, it appears rarer. Furthermore, in tragedy the role reversal focuses on the women’s function as usurping the roles designated for male characters. Euripides’ Medea and Aristophanes’ Women at Thesmophoria provide one with a paradigm from each genre of how sexual role reversal can explore alternative representations of gender and result in having a transgressive impactRead MoreHow Modern Versions Of Medea ( Euripides ) And Antigone ( Sophocles )1246 Words   |  5 Pageswould condemn women to be seen as psychotics, liars, and traitors. Even so many female playwrights recreate these plays today in a modern ligh t to establish a prevailing production. Throughout this essay I will discuss how modern versions of Medea (Euripides) and Antigone (Sophocles) challenge ancient Greek gender stereotypes in order to make a powerful feminist statement about contemporary society. Ancient Athenian society was objectively male dominated. Men associated themselves with other men and