Women in Ancient Greek Classics

Paper Summary:

This paper takes a look at four questions of women and politics as reflected in the Greek plays 'Medea' and 'Agamemnon'. The paper discusses the relationship between women and politics, the social and political position of women, how Greek stereotypes of women further each play's dramatic action and how the presentation of women plays into the themes of each play.

From the Paper:

"In ancient Greek classics, two of the most common themes involved the role of women in society and the part that politics played. The most intriguing plots occurred when these two themes intersected during a single work. Women and politics indeed come into breathtaking contact in Euripides' play, Medea. The play begins with a nurse telling of the happenings that will lead to tragedy. The action which sets the ball rolling toward tragedy is that "deserting his own children and my mistress [Medea], Jason has taken a royal wife to his bed, The daughter of the ruler of this land, Creon" (Medea 17-19). Here women are not used for love, but instead for the political clout that they might bring, in this case because of the princess, Glauce."

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