Central Research Question
My research essay will argue this position: How does the French Feminism theory manifest itself in Medea? Specifically, it will examine the language within the story and consider the social restraints placed on women in the historical and cultural timeframe.
Benefits for the Audience
Women have often taken the brunt of abuse by the social patriarchy. History is full of stories of the role of the “perfect” women, and women today still deal with the forced traditional ways to live. Therefore, if modern readers understand the social constraints of the past they can better understand how and why society is as it is today. By reading Medea with a French Feminism viewpoint, modern readers can have a deeper understanding of the text itself, as well as the voice of women in ancient Greek culture.
Literature in Review
My sources include a variety of journal articles, as well as selections of criticism from books. These sources provide the necessary information to understand the literary theory of French Feminism, and the role of women in Ancient Greece. These sources will help support my own arguments as I apply the different concepts and ideas to each other. The evidence provided from these sources will be most helpful in understanding the inner depth of Medea. Providing the much needed historical and cultural context, Allen Douglas in his article “Ancient Greece” offers the history of gender roles in Ancient Greece. In his article, Douglas explains how the original matriarchy in Greece was overturned, and how the Greek myths of goddess reflect the remains of this old custom. Women of the day of Medea had less rights than their predecessors as they turned into keepers of the home rather than citizens of the city-state. This suppression of women aids in understanding Medea’s attitudes about her role in life. In the article “The Madwoman in the Attic,” Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar provide an explanation of the current roles of women and how feminism responses to these roles. …show more content…
Gilbert and Gubar offer the roles: “angel” and “witch” to describe what patriarchal society expects from its women. These terms are on a binary scale. “Angel” is the perfect women; she is pure and submissive. On the other hand, “witch”, or sometimes “monster”, represents a woman who has ambition and strives to make her own place in the world. A careful reader can see these roles discussed in the Medea play. Medea herself comments upon the role of women and the expectations of purity and domesticity, but she also goes against this normality by her actions, and takes her future into her own hands. Furthermore, this article reflects on the happenings to a woman when she loses herself by becoming too giving. She dies to please the men around her. Cambridge offers the article “Modern Critical Approaches to Greek Tragedy” by Simon Goldhill. This criticism presents several different literary theories upon Ancient Greek tragedy: including a feminist look on Medea. Although the portion on feminism is very brief, the ideas contained within may launch into further discussion. The text proposes that the Ancient Greek plays do not offer much in the way of feminism because they are written by males, performed my males, and then watched by males, leaving very little room for the female. However, the article also offers the suggestion that the plays may be used to reveal the societal normality of the day, giving modern readers an understanding of what men and the Greek society thought of women. “What about non-citizens in Ancient Greece?” This is the question Cynthia Patterson asks in “Other Sorts: Slaves, Foreigners, and Women in Periclean Athens”. This article reveals the inner workings of Ancient Greece, showing the lives and realities of those outside of the citizen status. Women, slaves, and foreigners each are below the status of citizenship and therefore, live under the free-born local men. Patterson offers a voice to these ignored people groups and gives a more rounded history of life in Athens. The article “Remembering Medea: The Uses of Nostalgia” by Susannah Radstone also offers valuable insight into the world of Medea. Medea is one of the first “powerful female figures” (Radstone 57). She offers a basis for the feministic ideas
My research essay will argue this position: How does the French Feminism theory manifest itself in Medea? Specifically, it will examine the language within the story and consider the social restraints placed on women in the historical and cultural timeframe.
Benefits for the Audience
Women have often taken the brunt of abuse by the social patriarchy. History is full of stories of the role of the “perfect” women, and women today still deal with the forced traditional ways to live. Therefore, if modern readers understand the social constraints of the past they can better understand how and why society is as it is today. By reading Medea with a French Feminism viewpoint, modern readers can have a deeper understanding of the text itself, as well as the voice of women in ancient Greek culture.
Literature in Review
My sources include a variety of journal articles, as well as selections of criticism from books. These sources provide the necessary information to understand the literary theory of French Feminism, and the role of women in Ancient Greece. These sources will help support my own arguments as I apply the different concepts and ideas to each other. The evidence provided from these sources will be most helpful in understanding the inner depth of Medea. Providing the much needed historical and cultural context, Allen Douglas in his article “Ancient Greece” offers the history of gender roles in Ancient Greece. In his article, Douglas explains how the original matriarchy in Greece was overturned, and how the Greek myths of goddess reflect the remains of this old custom. Women of the day of Medea had less rights than their predecessors as they turned into keepers of the home rather than citizens of the city-state. This suppression of women aids in understanding Medea’s attitudes about her role in life. In the article “The Madwoman in the Attic,” Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar provide an explanation of the current roles of women and how feminism responses to these roles. …show more content…
Gilbert and Gubar offer the roles: “angel” and “witch” to describe what patriarchal society expects from its women. These terms are on a binary scale. “Angel” is the perfect women; she is pure and submissive. On the other hand, “witch”, or sometimes “monster”, represents a woman who has ambition and strives to make her own place in the world. A careful reader can see these roles discussed in the Medea play. Medea herself comments upon the role of women and the expectations of purity and domesticity, but she also goes against this normality by her actions, and takes her future into her own hands. Furthermore, this article reflects on the happenings to a woman when she loses herself by becoming too giving. She dies to please the men around her. Cambridge offers the article “Modern Critical Approaches to Greek Tragedy” by Simon Goldhill. This criticism presents several different literary theories upon Ancient Greek tragedy: including a feminist look on Medea. Although the portion on feminism is very brief, the ideas contained within may launch into further discussion. The text proposes that the Ancient Greek plays do not offer much in the way of feminism because they are written by males, performed my males, and then watched by males, leaving very little room for the female. However, the article also offers the suggestion that the plays may be used to reveal the societal normality of the day, giving modern readers an understanding of what men and the Greek society thought of women. “What about non-citizens in Ancient Greece?” This is the question Cynthia Patterson asks in “Other Sorts: Slaves, Foreigners, and Women in Periclean Athens”. This article reveals the inner workings of Ancient Greece, showing the lives and realities of those outside of the citizen status. Women, slaves, and foreigners each are below the status of citizenship and therefore, live under the free-born local men. Patterson offers a voice to these ignored people groups and gives a more rounded history of life in Athens. The article “Remembering Medea: The Uses of Nostalgia” by Susannah Radstone also offers valuable insight into the world of Medea. Medea is one of the first “powerful female figures” (Radstone 57). She offers a basis for the feministic ideas