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madea vs. antigone

2013-01-29T20:23:17.13-05:00

Antigone and Medea are two stories of women fighting back for what they want, or what they feel is right. These stories take place in ancient Greece, around the time it was rising to power. Medea and Antigone are both strong characters. Though at times can be very manipulative. Both women have different kind of moral standards that controls the outcome and how far their willing to go. Medea is often very demanding in getting what it is that she wants. Antigone, will do what she need to do in order to get what she wants. With Antigone she is goes against the law of a king to do what she believes is spirituality right. In the middle of the night she leaves the house and sneaks into a field to bury her dead brother. Medea killed many people, including her own sons and a princess, in order to get revenge on her cheating husband. The two women both have to wait for a perfect time to strike. In the case of Medea, quick, violent strikes. And with Antigone, a calm precise one. These women are very determined to get what they want. In these stories being a strong woman seems to coincide with being manipulative. Medea lied and cheated friends to try to acquire time in order to get what she wants. In this case what she wants is revenge against her ex-husband. She tricks a friend to give her saftey in Athens after she has committed her insane task. Medea even goes so far as to be able to con Creon, the king himself into giving her an extra day. This unwittingly gives her exactly what she needs. Antigone tries to manipulate others but is not as successful as Medea. Antigone tries, without success , to persuade her sister, Ismene, to help her give their brother Polyneices a proper burial. In this way they are more like foxes, cunning but not always getting it right. Their deceitful nature is their strength. While both women do wrong by the law of man, and Medea against the law of the gods, they do it for different reasons. In the beginning Medea kills many people and monsters with little or no concern of the consequence. When the story deals with modern times Medea kills out of pure revenge and spite for Jason. She plots for weeks to kill Jason’s new bride and poisons

Medea Is A Woman Not A “Monster”

2005-05-15T21:28:34-04:00

I oppose the motion that "Medea is a 'monster not a woman'" because she is a woman betrayed by her love. I think that although some of her actions may be called erratic, they are overall justifiable. The first “monstrous” actions she takes are: she helps Jason obtain the Golden Fleece, Kills her brother to ensure Jason’s safe departure, and her ultimately betrays her father and homeland. In my eyes these actions were not done out of spite or because she is a “monster” but because she is a woman in love. Love is supposed to be unconditional. She fell head over heels for Jason and was blind sighted to the consequences of such actions. He—now this I’m assuming—also told her about his troubles in his homeland and again Medea did not want to see her beloved husband suffer. So she did what she thought would ease his pain, make him happy, she had Pelias (the man who overthrew his father) killed by his own daughters. Medea bore Jason’s children and gave herself to him. The love she had for him ran so deep that she abandoned her noble status and went into a foreign land, a stranger, and a woman. Now after doing all this for him Medea is repaid by Jason, her darling husband by his abandonment and marriage to the princess of the land. Jason is a selfish man, thinks himself above others. I think that Jason to have ‘loved’ her—and here I use the term ‘love’ loosely—but this ‘love only lasted as long as she was helping him but then a better opportunity arose and he threw her away like yesterdays news. Now, how you feel is you had put that much into a relationship and this was your reward? Jason does try offering an explanation for his actions (pg 706 beginning line 535) but I think he is simply trying to calm Medea down to save his own and new wife’s skin. He wants one day to be king of this land and he does not truly care about what happens to Medea. After having this said one may bring up the point that he did offer her help while she was in exile (pg 704 beginning line 448) but again I think this may be for the love of his children not because he actually cares for Medea. Medea then kills Jason’s new wife and her father, this I

Medea - male and female perceptions of the world

2001-05-25T14:00:00-04:00

Ask yourself this, “Is this world biased against a particular gender? Do we mainly focus on women’s issues or men’s?” What would your answer be? I bet most of you would say no, we aren’t biased at all. And, in many cases, that would be correct. But look at some of the other parts of the world where woman aren’t allowed a say, they aren’t allowed to put their point of view forward even in our own society. They aren’t allowed to know information until the male passes it on to them. This ‘gap’ between women and men is widest in these areas. This type of treatment was happening at the times of the great ancient Greek playwrights such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, and the controversial Euripides. Euripides’ play “Medea” explores these themes as well as many others. Unlike today where women are usually regarded as important as men are, the ancient Greek men were ranked much higher than women in the hierarchy and therefore there was quite a gap between them. This meant that men were able to order women around and information was available to them before anybody else. Men were regarded as smarter than women so they were chosen to do special tasks while the women were left to be servants. But men didn’t seem to understand women much at all. Some men believed that they were just “Poor women”, “Harping on trouble”, where really they were doing things that would have helped themselves as well as the people around them. Medea is expected to love Jason with all her heart, and she does. She is expected to take care of her children and do just about anything for Jason, and she does this too. But Medea is also expected to understand that Jason wishes to get married to another woman in order for him to gain the power that he’d always wanted. She doesn’t understand this at all. All Medea expects from Jason is for him to love her. When men have more power than women, they expect more understanding from women. The play shows the views of both genders. The tutor, the messenger, Creon (king of Corinth), and Aegus (king of Athens) represent the male point of view. The nurse and the Chorus of Corinthian women represent the female point of view. Euripides intended to only have two voices representing the women to show that the

Medea: Discuss the role of the Chorus

2001-04-25T14:00:00-04:00

“Discuss the importance of the role that the Chorus plays in Euripedes’ Medea.” The Chorus is very much an important part of Euripedes’ Medea, and indeed many other works written in the ancient Greek style. In this play, it follows the journey Medea makes, and not only narrates, but commentates on what is happening. Euripedes uses the Chorus as a literary device to raise certain issues, and to influence where the sympathies of the audience lie. In the list of characters at the beginning of the play, the Chorus is stated to be a chorus of Corinthian Women. This draws the first link between them and Medea. The Chorus follows Medea on her journey through this play. They act as narrators on important occurrences in the play; however, they also act as a device Euripedes uses to influence the opinion of the audience. He does this by presenting to the audience a moral voice in the Chorus. The audience can relate to them, because the Chorus is in a neutral position in the play. They are definitely an integral part of the play, but their role is not so much to influence the actual plot of the play, but more to echo what has happened in the plot and the thoughts of the protagonists, and to suggest moral solutions the audience. The Chorus uses language which almost makes it seem that they are speaking from the perspective of the audience, and in doing this they are guiding the audience responses to what Euripedes wants it to be: ‘Medea, poor Medea! Your grief touches our hearts.’ Through this relationship between the Chorus and the audience, Euripedes is able to influence the audience to sympathise with Medea. In their first stasimon, a mutual suffering is shown between Medea and the Chorus: ‘And my own heart suffers too.’ The Chorus is used as an instrument to help the audience to understand and feel Medea’s suffering, and so from this early point in the play, a sympathy is established for Medea because of her tragic circumstances. This mutual suffering between Medea and the Chorus raises issues such as the treatment of women at the time when this play was written. When Medea married Jason, she married herself to him for life. She was expected to be totally obedient and to accept whatever her husband willed. For her to look upon another man other than her husband

Medea - Techniques

2001-03-16T13:00:00-04:00

In the play Medea, by Euripides, many techniques are incorporated to augment the compelling persona of the protagonist, Medea. She has an overpowering presence, which is fashioned through the use of imagery, offstage action and language. Dramatic suspense, employment of the chorus and Deus Ex Machina also serve to enhance the intense persona assumed by Medea. Medea is frequently associated with images of violence and rage. “She’s wild. Hate’s in her blood. /She feeds her rage…Stormclouds of anger.” These images suggest hatred, and anger, they are powerful and present a strong, illustration of Medea’s persona. Like nature, Medea is constructed as commanding and yet also unpredictable; this consequentially creates uncertainty as to what she shall do next and thus intrigues the audience with her character. Parallels between Medea and wild animals are often drawn in order to portray her as wild and untamed. “Bullglares, lions claws” and “you hellhound, you tigress,” these comments serve to highlight Medea’s animalistic side thus increasing her onstage presence and compelling persona. Medea’s two-fold personality is revealed through imagery of stone and harshness. She is both passionately emotional and coolly calculating, depending on which enhances her cause. “Cold as stone, cold eyes,” in 5th Century BC the eyes were considered of great importance, reflections of the soul, thus to have cold eyes is to have a cold soul. This notion is confronting to the audience and heightens Medea’s onstage presence. The use of offstage action is effective in constructing Medea’s authoritative persona. “Fe-oo! Fee-oo! Weep. Pity me.” These lamentations are passionate and emotional, exactly what many men of Ancient Greek society would expect of a woman. Suspense is built and the audience’s attention captured, focusing it on Medea and the moment of her on-stage arrival. However, when Medea does appear on stage she is calm and composed, dispelling the notion of a “wild woman”. “Ladies, Corinthians, I’m here./ Don’t think ill of me. Call others proud.” The Medea character has the power to command the audience through this presentation of her dual natures; she can be defined within the typical female gender role as emotional and passionate, yet she usurps masculine traits of rationality, resourcefulness and intelligence, creating a powerful presence. Language is of great importance in presenting Medea’s forceful persona. The “Are we women not the wretchedness?” diatribe on the oppression of women is powerful and commanding. It is delivered early on in the play and

Medea - the Abandonment of Gender Roles

2001-03-12T13:00:00-04:00

In Euripides’ Medea, the protagonist abandoned the gender roles of ancient Greek society. Medea defied perceptions of gender by exhibiting both "male" and "female" tendencies. She was able to detach herself from her "womanly" emotions at times and perform acts that society did not see women capable of doing. However, Medea did not fully abandon her role as a woman and did express many female emotions throughout the play. In ancient Greek society, murder was not commonly associated with women. Throughout the play, however, Medea committed several acts of murder. We learn that Medea has killed her brother. Medea does not have any guilt about planning and carrying out the murders of king Creon and his daughter Glauke. As the play develops, the reader realizes that Medea plans to commit infanticide. I shall murder my children, these children of mine…if die they must, I shall slay them, who gave them birth.(Euripides 207-213) This contradicts society’s view that women are the givers of life and that men take it away. It is especially unacceptable because she is the children’s mother. To kill a member of your family was frowned upon in ancient Greece, as it is today. [Chorus] Think. You are stabbing your children. Think…By your knees we entreat you, by all the world holds sacred, do not murder your children. (Euripides 208) Medea displays extreme pride, which is stereotyped as a "male" characteristic. She is willing to sacrifice everything, including her children, to restore her reputation. It is a common belief that a woman’s weakness is her children, but this is not the case with Medea. Her sense of pride prevails over her maternal instincts. Good-bye to my former plans…I cannot do it. And yet what is the matter with me? Do I want to make myself a laughingstock by letting my enemies off scot-free? I must go through with it…I do realize how terrible is the crime I am about , but passion overrules my resolutions …It’s worth the grief…You could not hope, nor your princess either, to scorn my love, make a fool of me and live happily ever after. (Euripides 212-219) Medea seeks vengeance with the same forceful determination to rectify the situation as a man would. A woman seeking revenge challenges society’s view of women as weak and passive. Medea will go to great lengths to hurt Jason for the wrongs he has done to her. [Chorus]You will slaughter them to avenge the dishonor

Medea: Jason Brings His Own Downfall

2000-11-20T13:00:00-05:00

In Medea, a play by Euripides, Jason possesses many traits that lead to his downfall. After Medea assists Jason in his quest to get the Golden Fleece, killing her brother and disgracing her father and her native land in the process, Jason finds a new bride despite swearing an oath of fidelity to Medea. Medea is devastated when she finds out that Jason left her for another woman after two children and now wants to banish her. Medea plots revenge on Jason after he gives her one day to leave. Medea later acts peculiarly as a subservient woman to Jason who is oblivious to the evil that will be unleashed and lets the children remain in Corinth. The children later deliver a poisoned gown to Jason’s new bride that also kills the King of Corinth. Medea then kills the children. Later, she refuses to let Jason bury the bodies or say goodbye to the dead children he now loves so dearly. Jason is cursed with many catastrophic flaws that lead to his downfall and that of others around him. A main trait of Jason’s is his obliviousness to everything. Jason doesn’t realize that Medea is crying for a different reason and thinks that whatever he says is right when he asks Medea, “Why is your cheek so white and turned away from me? Are not these words of mine pleasing for you to hear?” (p.55). Jason lacks mindful attention to what is happening around him. Jason was smart enough before to know that Medea is evil and even says that she is “incapable of controlling her bitter temper” (p.43). Medea easily changes Jason’s awareness of the future with a few words and makes him incognizant again. This leads to Jason having no idea of what will happen to those around him and not suspect anything from Medea. The major trait that leads to Jason’s downfall is his overwhelming pride. Medea knows she can use his ego against him and says, “I have reproached myself. ‘Fool’, I said, ‘why am I so mad?’” (p.53). Medea toys with Jason’s need to be above others and always right. Jason doesn’t even think twice about Medea’s sudden change to a servile attitude and accepts how her “mind has turned to better reasoning” (p.54). The arrogance of Jason makes him blind to what is happening around him. Medea is obviously manipulating this weakness to work to

On Revenge and Medea

1999-12-21T13:00:00-05:00

Revenge and vengeance are basic tools of human instinct. Whether society chooses to accept or blind itself to this fact, it is an indisputable truth. Francis Bacon examines this truth in "Of Revenge", a view of society and literary characters that reflects the strive for vengeance. However, "Of Revenge" deeply underestimates the corruption of the human spirit and soul. It completely disregards the presence of the basic human instinct which thrives on the manipulation and destruction of others, for the sake of satisfaction. Though Bacon’s inferences to the book of Job or Solomon are perfectly viable to a character that chooses to take revenge after they have been wronged, to believe that "no man does evil just for the sake of evil" annihilates any complete sense of credibility that Bacon’s thoughts imply. The author’s aspirations of the seeking of revenge solely as a means of retribution for oneself, and not to satisfy the evil within the human soul, is a beautiful and idealistic hope which belongs in some earthen utopia. Unfortunately, it has no bearing on the modern world. Though the beliefs of Bacon expressed in "On Revenge" fulfill the traits of characters such as Medea, they neglect the human thrive for meaningless vengeance in characters such as Shakespeare’s Iago. Euripides’s Medea uses the theme of the search for revenge in order to instigate the downfalls and deaths of many characters. This theme is expressed through the character of Medea, who fits directly into the mold laid out in the guidelines of "Of Revenge". Medea’s search for revenge commences after her husband, the famous Greek hero Jason, leaves her for the power and prestige of the daughter of the King of Corinth. Medea becomes distraught over the news, especially after she reflects upon all that she had destroyed for Jason. She murdered her brother, was willingly ostracized from her homeland, gave Jason two sons, and killed most of Jason’s enemies using her knowledge of black arts. In short, Jason’s inability to remain faithful to a woman who obsessed over him, causes Medea’s search for vengeance. The wrongs committed by Jason with respect to Medea mirror Bacon’s belief that "revenge makes a man but even with his enemy" as well as "we are commanded to forgive our enemies; but never read that we are commanded to forgive our friends". In this case, Medea cannot forgive her husband and takes revenge by murdering

Medea

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00

Title of Work: Medea Country/Culture: Greek Literary Period: Classical Type of Literature (genre): Drama/Tragedy Author: Euripides Authorial information: Euripides was born in 484 BC and took up drama at the young age of 25. At most drama competitions, however his plays came in last place until he was about 45 or 50 years old. In his entire life, he wrote 92 plays of which only five received first place awards at competition. Euripides despised women. He had been married twice to unfaithful women and had three sons. This hate of women is shown in his work of Medea. Author's unique style: Euripides' characterization of women is considered unique in the play Medea because the tragic Hero/ine - in this case Jason and Medea in each one's own sense - is done over by a woman after cheating on her with the princess of the King of Corinth. He places emphasis on human emotions and individual psychology in order to help the reader produce a clear picture of the characters. Medea features strong dramatic situations and a stirring part for the heroine, whose attitude of feminine pride and tradition is still popular in today's world. Setting: The entire play takes place on the island of Corinth in present day Greece. Individual places such as Medea/Jason's home, and the palace of the king and princess are also spoken of and used in the play. It has an ancient Greek setting as well. Theme: "What goes around comes around." The theme of revenge in the sense of Medea's strong desire to seek revenge on Jason. Another possible theme of Medea may be that at times a punishment of revenge should justify the crime - no matter how severe. Only a person in such a situation (and greater beings) may know what to action to take in this position. Characters: Medea - The strong willed woman who would do anything for her husband is victimized by him and turns deadly. After going to a great extent to help Jason - killing people to be with him and married to him - he turns around and marries a younger princess and leaves Medea and their two children with nothing. This deeply angers Medea - her tragic flaw appears to be an over excessive sense of revenge - who goes absolutely berserk and kills the princess and her children to get back at Jason for leaving her. She is very decisive and intelligent and had thought through