How does Medea Essay

Usually classical Playwrights were primarily concern with religious issues rather than the smaller issues of kind or political. However, within the Grecian myths in that respect were a serial of topics that were primarily presented to challenge the sense of hearing socially and politically. In the case of Medea by Euripides it is the strong female eccentric person Medea who takes the main lead social function in the motion. It is assertable to study the role of wo men in finish insofar especially with a text like Medea it is discernible that there is more than one culture involved.They argon the culture of the actual subject, in this case Medea and the culture of the author. Euripides constructed a play by using a series of stories that had been handed down gen seasontions gone ahead him from the time of Medea and of course his own particular observations of women in that corporation around him. What Medea does by the end of the play is a precise all-powerful stat ement on the role of women in quaint Greece. From researching into the political stance of women it is suggested that it was seen as acceptable that they were treated as an object glass of possession.The Grecian legal system worked accurately if the economises were downright and responsible. The married woman herself only had legal trade protection if her husband was either dead or sick. Also, the non citizen wives were worse arrive at as they had to have a citizen friend too their own husband. In this play Medea creates a very strong and stern warning to society to non take advantage of this possibility. M any modern day critics of the play believe that this classical view of the role of women in society was to blame for Medeas excesses and the boilersuit extreme she went to.If there was a good healthful balanced legal system then there would be no need for vengeance. Thus make Medea take the law into her own hands. A period of time worth mentioning is the fact that Medea is non describe to the audience on her appearance kind of she is greatly described on what she can do. Unlike Greek women in her society at that time, Medea does not rely it seems on such Gods and Goddesses such as Aphrodite and her charms, but instead she relies on her own potions and her incantations. Medea in her society was the priestess of Hecate who gave her tons of power both physically and socially.With having this power she had the powerful social positioning in which she was respected and too greatly feared. If Medea was alive today she would be considered a witch, yet this quaint Greek woman does not paroxysm our uninspired idea of a witch. sort of of this view the Ancient Greek Witches were young and beautiful, during their Sabbath on looking men would be in concern and incapacitated by their beauty. During her date a Greek lady would not have to worry rough the devil as such. Women who acted like witches were considered to be powerful and interesting.T hey would either be good or poor which was, to be expected greatly dependant on what they did with their powers. In Ancient Greek times it was ofttimes harder to live outside of your family than it is now. Back in that era as a woman you would be very dependant on your family for welfare, social security, food and your social life. Other distinguished aspects included your legal protection and citizenship. In Medea she was the Princess in Colchis so she had all the important elements that a family provided for their child.However, she fell in love and stubborn to leave Colchis with Jason and took the biggest step of all, killing her own brother. This was considered and placid would be considered a very powerful act against your family, which is an act in which few Ancient Greek people could identify with. This made Medea be company out of her Greek society. The stereotypical man of Ancient Greek times wanted to fall in love with a woman who they considered to be diffused to allot. Men saw women as easy to handle when they appear weak and are just powerfully agreeable to the men. Yet, when they are powerful they are regarded as nightmares.Thus giving the indication that Jason would consider Medea as a nightmare as she challenges in the extreme. This stereotypical view of the perfect Ancient Greek wife who could fit easily into the mens fantasies was a view in which Medea certainly does not fit into. There is a vast extremity in Medea, one which no man could successfully control. An American critic of the play Fredrick John Kluth quotes that Medea does for men what they cannot do for themselves. Thus creating a very interesting temperament who adds a great deal to the interests of the play.Therefore, in a sense Medea is outside of the time and does not genuinely show a role of women in any time period. Looking closely at Ancient Greek women they usually possessed the characteristics of a nurturing and passionate individual. Medea strove against men and stood up to them as a strong woman. This would not have been considered in the era of the Greeks, instead this cause would have been left to the men whilst the women stood back. Medea stands as a great symbol of the intelligent woman who has no place in the social life of the Greek community.By this I mean other members of the Greek community would not wish to be caught up and eventually damaged by this womans great power. She provides Euripides complain for the actual social status that a woman has in Greek society which is likely to be more relevant to Euripides era rather than Medeas. Therefore Medea the play acts as a social statement by the playwright himself. Euripides similarly attempted to explain the spiritual nature of reality and their attitudes towards other people of their own, slightly different society.