Medea and Lysistrata by Euripides - Essay Example

and Time In today’s western culture, it is unthinkable to picture a society where women are considered commodities, traded for their wealth, and limited only to the sexual and household duties. However, Medea and Lysistrata, where former is a ‘tragedy’ written by Euripides, and the latter is an ‘old comedy’ by Aristophanes, portray similar circumstances. Both of these plays depict the life in ancient Greece, and among other themes, talk about the neglect and subjugation of females by their male counterparts, and their ingenious and aggressive defiance. Whether, it is Jason leaving Medea for another woman, or Lysistrata, being isolated because of the war, men expect women to quietly accept their fate, act only within the limitation of domestic activities, and have little or no social and political influences. These plays will always remain relatable because their genius does not lie only in the accurate delineation of ancient Greek women as pliable creatures, without any societal and political aspirations, and with limited desires, such as sex and household trivialities; instead it is in the sheer audacity of publicly exposing the deeply personal marital relationship, and openly displaying the insubordination of womenfolk. When Lysistrata is anxiously waiting for the womenfolk from neighboring states, such as, Sparta and Boeotia, Calonice, her neighbor provides few probable reasons for the delay, “It’s not easy for wives to get away. We’ve got to fuss about our husbands, wake up the servants, calm and wash the babies, than give them food.” (Lysistrata 16) This statement in short sums the expected duties of women of those times. Both plays show that the ancient Greek society was established on the principles of injustice, where women were relegated to the household boundaries. Marriage was considered a trade between the father of the woman and the future husband, and once married, females were expected to stay indoors, maintain the household, and ascertain that their husbands and children are well taken care of. They are not considered as intellectual human beings, deemed incapable of handling financial estates, and were never consulted regarding any social, and political issues. They were supposed to be observant, pliant, pleasant, and secretive creatures, and any woman who acted ‘outside of the confines of the normal domestic activity’ was considered in the wrong (Stroup 40). Therefore, the public insolence of Medea towards her husband, and open denial of sex by the females of Lysistrata were radical steps, which jarred the very foundations of this male dominated culture. At the first readings, both of these plays seem feminist, however, a careful analysis will reveal the opposite. The ancient Greek society permitted women to have few desires, restricted to personal satisfaction and household responsibilities, and the individual behavior of women shows that they are content as long as these limited needs are fulfilled. It is obvious in both plays that the ultimate aspirations of the female protagonists are to be protected, loved and cherished by their men. These women are shown as romantics, governed by their passion for sexual gratification and bound by their eventual belief that their happiness lies within the companionship of a male figure. They are happy to concentrate on routine tasks, as long as their companions are fulfilling their voracious sexual appetites, and devoting their lives completely to them. The violent measures taken by Medea for avenging her lost love, and her reliance on king of Athens, Aegeus, for help, clearly show that she cannot survive without male support. Similarly, the actions of Lysistrata were ruled by the ultimate desire of restoring her domestic harmony, and getting all the men back to their lonely and aging wives. The female counterparts of Lysistrata, initially balked at the proposal of withholding sex, but after realizing that it will lead them to the eventual desire of having their men by their side, they all agreed to take the pact. Although, it must be noted that Medea’s self-centered desires led her to such an extreme that she committed the ultimate heinous crime of murder. Whereas, Lysistrata’s desires took a larger sense of communal responsibility, and accomplished something that was for greater good. Overall, these desires manifest in the open questioning of men’s actions, something that was unheard of at that time. In addition to limited desires, the ancient Greek women were also socially and politically decapitated. Initially they were allowed to attend religious ceremonies, but with time, this also declined. “ In the sixth century, both women and men participated in these ceremonies, but by the fifth century when ceremonies were becoming what is known as theatre, women disappeared from the practice” (Case 133). Their social involvement was narrowed to visiting other female friends, like Calonice in Lysistrata, and discussing personal issues with female companions, such as Nurse in Medea. The portrayal of these suppressed women still holds importance, any woman who has been betrayed will identify with Madea’s pain and aggression, and any woman who has ever utilized sexual activity for acquiring something desirable, will comprehend Lysistrata’s actions. Although, today’s civilization has progressed enough to realize the importance of gender equality and the crucial role women can play in society’s success, the core themes of these novels, which are need for love and attention, will always resonate with the women throughout the history. Lysistrata and Medea are not some naive, young, virgin heroines that are forced to bear the cruelty of their masters; instead they are mature, passionate, and clever women, who are faced with continual neglect and non-acceptance of their intellect by the male dominated society. They are governed with the customary objectives of becoming the center of attention of their loved ones, and the failure deforms their personalities, and turns them in to twisted and maligned human beings. The society’s continuous limitations regarding their duties and desires left them with the only option of developing aggressive and impudent plans to avenge themselves. These plans manifest in public display of hostility and defiance, which was something that has never happened before. These women are no role models, and did not do much in breaking the women stereotypes of being self centered and unintelligent. Instead, they only proved that if need arises, women can rally up enough strength to defy the social norms, and publicly challenge men and their age old supremacist beliefs. Works Cited Asaro, Brittany. A Female Hero and Male Antiheroes: An Investigation of the tragic Hero and Gender Roles in Euripidies’ “Medea” According to Aristotle’s “Poetics”. Thinking Gender Papers, UCLA (2010). Case, Sue-Ellen. “Classic Drag: The Greek Creation of Female Parts.” The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama. Boston: W.B. Worthen, 2007. 132-136. Ruden, Sarah. Aristophanes Lysistrata. Indianapolis:Hackett Publishing Company Inc., 2003. Stroup, Sarah Culpepper. “Designing Women: Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and the “Hetairization” of the Greek Wife.” Arethusa 37(2004): 37-73. Read More