Gendered Significance

        Medea is a protagonist that is characterized by the disorder within gender norms and typical family behavior in Greek society. However, she is not a tragic hero in the typical sense of the expression. Medea’s downfall is not brought about by a tragic weakness or an error in judgment. Rather, the fact that she is a women and her situation stems from strict social conditions. Nevertheless, Medea’s predicament exists completely within the realm of her own control, since the tragic loss of her children remains entirely her fault. Not only is Medea represented as a murderer, but also as a source of destruction of the private, domestic, traditionally female world of the family. Accordingly, Euripides uses an ambiguous portrayal of gender roles in the play. He uses Medea to illustrate the victimized plight of women, however, her desire for vengeance and ultimate actions, reveal a relationship between gender and universal behavior, as compared to that of men.

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        In the beginning of the play, Euripides portrays Medea as a stereotypical female within the male power structure. He highlights many of the injustices suffered by women, specifically autonomy, insecurity, and manipulation. In the opening scene of the play, the nurse characterizes Medea as a decent wife, “Pleasure to the people of her land of exile/ And she herself helped Jason in every way. This is indeed the greatest salvation of all- For the wife not to stand apart from the husband,” (11-15). However, in the same manner that Jason feels a commitment to expand his ethos, Medea feels a ...

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