Over time in countries like Canada women have fought for their own rights to gain an equal position in a traditional male-dominating society. As a result, the role of males and females has gradually become more equal. Female characters from older pieces of literature such as Medea in Euripides’ play, The Medea, and Nora and Mrs. Linde of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, can be said not only to define the traditional role of women but to show modern readers how much freedom women have gained in some societies since the plays were written as well. The Greeks and the Norwegians were traditional thinking at the time these plays were written – women simply did not have the choice to decide how their lives should be led. The people in these societies thought women could not act as independently as men could. In truth, women are very much capable of doing the same tasks just as well as men if they are given the encouragement. Unfortunately, Medea, Nora, and Mrs. Linde are made to behave like helpless beings. They do not even realise what they are really capable of doing until some dramatic events force them to act independently. Through these characters one can see that what were often thought of as male characteristics, such as the ability to defend, common sense, and pride, are traits that women already possess. The dramatic events that they experience only help them to develop these characteristics allowing them to adapt to their hostile environment.
The traditional role of women must first be defined in order to contrast with the male characteristics. Traditional women stay home and care for the children. Medea describes mothers as the ones that “[dress their] sons’ brides” (Euripedes, p. 94) and “[hold] the torch at the wedding ceremony” (p. 94). Medea, Nora, and Mrs. Linde have lives that revolve around their families. They feel responsible for taking care of their families and prefer a stable life. The yearning for a stable life leads these women to sacrifice themselves. Women are not allowed to borrow money in Nora’s society but she risks the possibility of being imprisoned to obtain the money needed by her husband, Torvald, to cure him from serious illness. Mrs. Linde “[does not think she] had the right to turn [her husband] down” (Ibsen, p. 157) when he proposed to her because she needs his financial help to support her mother and younger brothers. Women tend to be more emotional as Medea describes a woman as “a frail thing, prone to crying” (Euripedes, p. 90). This show of emotion is perceived as a weakness by men and thus, men such as Torvald and Jason, Medea’s husband, are given the excuse to take control. They feel they need to protect women with their “feminine helplessness” (Ibsen, p.223). The male characters in the plays also think that the females lack common sense so they are completely foolish when it comes to money. For example, Medea does not have control of money and so has difficulty in leaving Corinth when Creon sends her into exile. Jason is the one with the financial ability to assist her. Torvald, being the money-earner of the household is dumbfounded by Nora’s request for more money. The role of women is clearly defined by the male characters of both plays and thus does not reflect the real characteristics of women.
