Essay Example on Medea: Exploring Conflict, Barbarism, and Feminism

It is usually not easy to accept bad decisions that have been made by a friend or family member, but extremely difficult to agree with someone who is not familiar to you. When the person is strange and a fictional character, the situation even worsens and becomes more challenging. In Euripides's play "Medea," he displays a significant nature barbarism and modern-day feminism that people are subjected to a thorough exploration of various characters. The author creates an exemplary conflict between readers and the selected point of view. Euripides exceptional used the play to reveal the kind of treatment that women were being subjected to in male-dominated social settings as well as provided a visual perception that triggered the birth of feminism among his characters. Women were portrayed as a powerless and vulnerable being whose main areas of success is home, tending domestic animals and procreation. Euripides society viewed women as sources of fun and satisfaction to men's desires and needs. However, Medea, one of the most discussed characters in the text, resisted their subjections as well as disregarded any form of feminine characteristic that was being practiced in her social location. Medea revolted all questions about the inequality of women through her traitorous action to her husband. She even killed her brother as a way of getting rid of the forms of oppression through exile.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Our societies are faced with numerous challenges that need proper attention to ensure safety. Wars, poverty, gender inequality, feminism, sexual harassment, and male chauvinism have been regarded as significant threats to co-existence in our social setting. However, in every patriotic society feminist is more pronounce and stand for many things that cut across gender rights. Feminism is associated with sexual harassment, domestic and sexual violence, reproductive rights, among others (Sassi 172). Women usually endure these subjections because of the nature of the societies that have adversely grown to patriarchal in the environment. Women are viewed as inferior beings that have no voice to their rights in front of their husband. In some social settings, men have valued than women, and any decision they make is regarded as final. In Medea, divorce is seen a taboo is initiated by a women but safe if the same is done a man. Women were forced to look for only one man, and any form of adultery was handling with full force. Euripides portrays the bitterness and frustration that Medea is going through in the patriarchal society towards the male dominators due to the existence of double standards. The reflection from the text reveals that men are supposed to remain at a higher position than women, though the rationale has been jeopardized in the modern society women are viewed as subject to men. Jason reiterates that if a woman values a man than gold (963), then she has the best position to inherit from my hard-gained wealth. Similarly, restoration portrays that Jason expects the same from his wife, Medea who made it happen by making continuous sacrifices and doing his dirty works. Contrary, his role is to dishonor the marriage and duties to help his family (Straile-Costa 220). Jason's efforts to become a king were related to having many children. He even made a separate new bed to accomplish the mission without necessarily considering the fate of her wife. He also ended up disowning his family to become a king.

Additionally, it is also important to assert that regardless of the actions that took place in the play, especially to Medea in the hands of her husband, she managed to succeed. The morals, beliefs, and values that were instilled to her through his husband's actin awaken her mind (Kramer 143). Medea exploited common values, and this she was sure to seek vengeance of the person who was dear to her. The killing of her children that was exhibited by Medea reveals her unending agony and havoc that was disturbing her life. Unlike the standard submission that women are being exposed to in traditional days, the modern world has embraced their availability. Women have risen to more prominent positions that were then owned by men, and having children has never been the focal point of discussion. Although the most powerful thing that a woman can do to his man to bear him children, the version has recently changed, and a contrasting view has been deployed. According to Anderson (2017), the number of women who are being admitted to colleges has tremendously increased, and most of them are bypassing the mother altogether (Anderson 132). Some women have even insisted that their future should not be associated with waking up early, taking care of children, and working all day. In the play, Medea gave birth to children for her husband Jason due to her knowledge about her role in marriage.

Moreover, feminism is also associated with advocating for social, legal, economic, and political justice for women in a male-dominated world. The demand reveals that women should have equal rights as their male counterparts. To be regarded as an outstanding feminist, Medea portrayed an intending influence on the position of women through exploiting many efforts. This shows that intentionally actions exhibited by women are a sign of call for freedom. However, women who fail to identify themselves as fighters for their rights can cause intentional impacts on society. Euripides reveals that any form of hardship motivated the actions executed by Medea that she went through but acted as awakening deceit from the oppression she received from her husband and third for revenge. According to Hendrickson (2015), feminist inspires and lift fellow women because of the common goals and rights that they share (Hendrickson 389). The exact way of qualifying Medea as feminist women is based on the sole purpose of the actions which she exhibited in advocating for their freedom. Euripides portrayed that Medea is slain in her speech and majorly focuses on exploring revenge on her husband. The killing of her children, Caen, and the daughter to escape reveals that women cannot be labeled as actual freedom fighters. This is due to consistent motives that she expressed throughout the play (Murphy 154). The revenge she deployed to her husband is regarded as the worst thing women can do in attempts to fight for their rights. The actions were triggered by different concepts that were influencing her rational social setting.

According to Weiss (2017) (p. 46), women are usually weak and need to be valued at all levels of their social being. It is prudent to ascertain the paly embraces this concept and reiterates that although the rationale has not to be addressed and adequately compensated, significant actions should be employed to motivate them for better relations. Euripides affirms that the position of Medea in the play was not to reveal inequities and express a lack of appreciation that women are exposed to from their husbands. It is worth noting that women are only important after the death of their husbands. Studies show that the relationship after death is more exciting as compared to the one where the husband was still alive (Hutchins and Amy 388). Besides, Medea challenges this concept and remark that unfair position between men and women is the leading cause of oppression which they are exposed to (Bond 356). Through the story, Euripides explored various aspects of barbaric actions that women are subjected to and the efforts they are making to gain stability regardless of the odds. The passion that was exhibited by female characters in the play reveals the constant quest for their rights. The cruelty in Medea killing, though to an extent, is justifiable; it remains an abomination to kill another person without proper information about doing that. The action adversely jeopardizes the relationship between her and the husband.

Moreover, feminism portrayed by Euripides in his play "Medea" challenges the dominant perspective about the Greek's patriarchal society. In most cultures, the role of women also varies depending on the positions taken by their husbands. While Medea ambitiously disregards many characteristics and stereotypes that are portrayed in such societies, she questions the source of inequality that was trending that men are more dominant the female counterparts. This shows her conscious heart towards finding an amicable solution to issues that are affecting the female gender. The conflict between Medea and Jason shades light in the creation of a challenge by Euripides to explain the notion of feminism. The modern world reiterates that all humans are equal before the law and must be addressed with due respect regardless of the roles and position in society. However, the betrayal exhibited by Jason is revealed to be the main turning over of events, thus fight for revenge (Ackah 40). The relationship between the exploited persons and the person doing the actor portrays an outstanding verdict that can trigger defense or attack. The dramatic testament that was made during the unexpected betrayal leaves Medea miserable and unhappy. She dearly wants to free herself from the unhappy life that has evenly become worse through fighting for her rights.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Medea's case in the play portrays and unending war between men and women in the traditional era. Massive conflicts were realized with most of leading to deaths, divorce, or separations. The jury in Euripides reveals that the position of women in a society still lies in some past experiences that were encountered. Interesting, the role of men has adversely changed, and the areas evaluated to accommodate the females. Medea, for instance, reveals that everything is possible, and the solution to the agony and unhappy life that women go through entirely relies on the fate and actions exhibited by men. Euripides exploits the significance of truth and knowledge to ascertain particular contrasting views that have made women be viewed as sources of fun to men. Patriarchal societies have drastically been reduced to nothingness, and efforts are being made to address significant concepts of truth that surround feminism. The rise of feminism movements has created a concrete platform in which gender issues can be sent to accommodate women.

Works Cited

Ackah, Kofi. "Euripides' Medea and Jason: a study in the Social Power of Love." Chronicon 18.1 (2017): 31-43.

Anderson, Ryann. "A Mexican Medea": Challenging Western Literary Tropes in Cherrie L. Moraga's The Hungry Woman." The Albatross 9 (2019): 49-55.

Bond, Robin. "ESSAYS ON MEDEA-D. Stuttard Looking at Medea. Essays and a Translation of Euripides' Tragedy. Pp. xii+ 219, ills. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2014. Paper,PS 18.99, US $32.95 (Cased,PS 60, US $104). ISBN: 978-1-4725-3051-6 (978-1-4725-2772-1 HBK)." The Classical Review 65.2 (2015): 354-396.

Hendrickson, Chloe. "The "Mad" Woman in Medea and Decolonial Feminist Revisions: An Intersectional Feminist Analysis of Three Plays." (2017).

Hutchins, Zachary, and Amy Lofgreen. "Greeker than Jonson thought? Euripides' Medea in The Merchant of Venice." Shakespeare 11.4 (2015): 388-407.

Kramer, Christina Faye. "The Socially Deviant (M) other in Euripides'" Medea" and Two Modern Adaptations." (2018).

Murphy, Ashton Lacy. "Medea and New Media: Analyzing Euripides' Tragedy through the Medium of Video Games." (2016).

Sassi Maria Michela. "The Medea syndrome." Philosophical Inquiries 5.1 (2017): 91-206.

Straile-Costa, Paula. "Myth and Ritual in The Hungry Woman: A Mexican Medea: Cherrie Moraga's Xicana-Indigena Interpretation of Euripides' Medea." Unbinding Medea. Routledge, 2017. 209-223.

Weiss, Naomi A. "THE MEDEA-J. Mossman (trans.) Euripides: Medea. (Aris & Phillips Classical Texts.) Pp. viii+ 392. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2011. Paper,PS 24.99 (Cased,PS 50). ISBN: 978-0-8...