420 Euripides
impact of patriarchal rule. In Medea, gender serves
as a dominant and significant source of conflict.
A truly subversive character, Medea makes a dra-
matic effort to redefine gender and expose double
standards associated with it. In her first speech to
the women of Corinth about her sorrow after her
husband ( Jason) leaves her for another woman, she
laments the plight of women by emphasizing that
men fail to understand that women do not “lead an
easy life, safe at home while they risk all at the point
of a spear,” but she contends that she would “rather
stand three times in battle with shield and spear
than give birth once.” Medea complicates the tradi-
tional notion of the role of a woman by arguing that
she would much rather replace her “easy life” with
the dangers men experience in battle. Therefore,
she provides a subversive view of what the female
gender is capable of and questions men’s traditional
notion of the natural desire of women to reproduce.
In essence, she posits that men are the individuals
who really live the “easy life.” Medea’s argument
is so subversive and shocking because Athenian
women were expected to refrain from anything that
would be perceived as “masculine.” Her argument
highlights the capability of women to participate in
war—undermining this capability as an inherently
masculine attribute.
In her first speech to the women of Corinth,
Medea also exposes the double standard that exists
in the expectations of married women by noting that
married men have the liberty to engage in sexual
relations with other women, but married women,
are constrained by the expectation that “on one man
we’re forced to fix our gaze.” Thus, Medea’s argu-
ment emphasizes one inherent inequality in the
social construction of gender: Men have unrestricted
freedom to leave a marriage without any reper-
cussions, but “divorce discredits women utterly.”
Although Medea makes a salient effort to challenge
the inferior status of women and fight against the
oppression of women, the support of the female
chorus for Medea’s plan of revenge demonstrates
that there is a strong desire for women to subvert the
patriarchal ideology that subjugates their lives.
The Chorus in Medea plays an instrumental
role in helping the reader to understand the desire
of a significant number of women to challenge
the oppressive social conditions under which they
live. After Medea makes her first speech to the
women of Corinth and solicits their support for
her aspirations to seek revenge on Jason (Medea’s
husband) for abandoning her for another woman,
she asks the chorus not to disclose her plan of
revenge. The chorus leader indicates her strong
approval of Medea’s plan of revenge by contending
that Medea’s “cause is just, for you are wronged.
Your husband must be punished. I understand your
grief, and that it seeks relief.” With such support,
Medea’s plan of revenge becomes more than just
a simple plan of revenge but a tangible expression
of all women’s dissatisfaction with male domi-
nance and the patriarchal ideology responsible for
women’s oppression. When the chorus leader says
that she “understands” Medea’s “grief,” the reader
can perceive that one of the fundamental reasons
for this understanding stems from the influence
of gender relations. While the chorus understands
the complexity and consequences of Medea’s plan
of revenge, they also understand female solidarity is
essential if her plan of attacking patriarchal ideol-
ogy is to be effective.
Gender plays an instrumental role in Medea in
illuminating the inequalities that have historically
existed in the power relations between men and
women. While Medea’s plan of revenge involves the
unbearable act of murdering her children, this act
evinces the importance of attacking the bondage of
gender inequalities in this historical setting. Medea
underscores the importance of female solidarity in
overcoming gender inequalities and demonstrates
that one individual can bring about meaningful
change.
Antonio Maurice DanielssuFFerinG in Medea
Greek tragedy always examines human suffering,
and Euripides found an excellent vehicle in the
story of Medea. The play opens with the Nurse’s
description of Medea’s condition as one of perpetual
agony: “She lies without food and gives herself up to
suffering, wasting away every moment of the day in
tears. So it has gone since she knew herself slighted
by [her husband].” This opening speech continues,
painting a vivid picture of the given circumstances