The play “Medea” is very unique in its unique portrayal of women. Euripides states, “Surely, of all creatures that have life and will, we women/ Are the most wretched. When, for an extravagant sum,/ We have bought a husband, we must then accept him as/ Possessor of our body. This is to aggravate/ Wrong with worse wrong. Then the great question: will the man/ We get be bad or good? For woman, divorce is not/ Respectable; to repel the man, not possible.” (Euripides) This line takes place immediately after we see how the men in the story treat their female counterparts. This statement marks the beginning of the women becoming more outspoken. These lines help describe what life was like for women in Ancient Greece. Euripides was sympathetic to the plight of women, but it is obvious women of the time period often lived a miserly existence. “Divorce is a disgrace (at least for women),to repudiate the man, not possible. (31)” This statement takes place after Medea’s husband threatens to divorce her. It shows the slave like state of married women. The quote, “Of all creatures that can feel and think, we women are the worst treated things alive. (31)” takes place after Medea is wrongfully accused. It shows that women had few legal rights. The quote, I had rather stand my ground three times among the shields than face a childbirth once. (31) shows how gender roles were very common and women that didn’t abide by them were forced to do so. The quote “One day the story will change: then shall the glory of women resound []Reversing at last the sadreputation of ladies.” (58) takes place at the end of the play after Medea’s story is told it serves as a call to all women for rebellion.
Works Cited:
Euripides. (2001). Medea. CreateSpace. Print.
