-
Essay / Female Characters in Patriarchal Greece: A Comparative Study of “Medea” and “Lysistrata”
The plays Medea and Lysistrata both depict main characters who are women in ancient Greece. In each of these plays, the main characters feel that they must confront the patriarchal society in which they live. Ancient Greek men considered women an inferior sex. A woman's place is at home, where she takes care of her husband or father; there were no places of influence for women in ancient Greece outside the home. This helplessness is a major factor in Medea's drift toward senseless vengeance, as well as in Lysistrata's grand idea of achieving peace in Greece. These two women use the weaknesses of the men around them to fight against patriarchal society in different ways and for different goals. These two pieces can be used together to give an idea of how women were viewed in ancient Greece. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In Medea, gender inequality is immediately revealed by Jason's betrayal of Medea. When Jason rejects Medea out of hand, for no other reason than to promote his own name, by marrying a rich princess, it shows how little attention is paid to the woman's needs. Medea tells Jason that if he “was honest, [he] should have conquered her first, and not married behind [her] back” (ll 533-534). Jason believes that Medea should just agree to the divorce so that he can become rich and share his wealth with her and their children. He said to Medea: “As for your slanderous taunts against my marriage to the royal family, I will show you that my action was wise, not influenced by passion, and directed towards your interests and those of my children” (11 495- 499). ). Jason insults Medea's intelligence, showing that not only does Jason disregard Medea's feelings for him, but he also thinks she is simple and tries to convince her that it was in her best interest to divorce him. What should a woman do? In ancient Greece, Medea had little recourse. She hatches a plan to deprive Jason of everything his position offers him. First, Medea decides to kill Jason, his new wife and his new father-in-law. Medea finally realizes that after killing the king and princess, the only way Jason can pay is to lose everything except his life. Although she could have taken her children with her without killing them, Medea realizes that until women have power, she will have no real influence over her sons. Jason's sons will never forgive their mother for killing him. Medea decides that Jason must live and the boys must die. This way, she will eliminate the name of Jason and his future supporters in one fell swoop. After Medea kills her sons, she tells Jason, "You were wrong if you thought you could disgrace my bed, live a good life, and mock me" (1227-1229). Medea believes that this is a great insult to her and that her only recourse to take revenge on Jason is to kill their sons. Jason simply illustrates the Greek man's view of women by saying, "[Now], out of mere sexual jealousy, you murder them" (11 1213-1214). Jason's statement simply shows his opinion on women: they are more affected by sex than by romantic betrayal. If women were allowed to file complaints in court in ancient Greece, these tragic events may never have happened. Lysistrata finds itself in a completely different situation, but with the same.