Madea Possibly the Litarary Worlds First Feminist

A detailed Summary of Madea Possibly the Litarary Worlds First Feminist

Medea: Possibly the Literary Worlds First Feminist

Ancient Greece was an extremely misogynistic culture, and believed that women were a lesser breed. Because of these beliefs women were portrayed as weak, irrational, and vain creatures, and men bore the responsibility of taking care of them. Euripides created Medea, a women who is betrayed by her husband, and exiled by the king. It is only after King Kreon exiles Medea, and her children that she gets angry. Medea uses these assumptions about women to manipulate these characters in order to get her revenge.

Medea is a very intelligent woman, and she uses her intelligence to plan her revenge. Men considered women weak, and because of this presumption it makes it easy for Madea to influence them. After she is exiled she must seek refuge, and she finds it in Athens with King Aigeus. In exchange for a place in his kingdom she promises to use her powers as a witch to bring him and his wife children. She makes him promise before all the Gods "'That you yourself will never cast me from your land, / Nor, if any of my enemies should demand me, / Will you, in your life, willingly hand me over'" (733-735) He has no idea of her intentions, but because he swore before the gods he must now

He and the children had gone far from the palace

Ancient Greece believed that masculinity was more powerful than it's feminine counter-part. Madea proves their assumptions wrong, and by doing so she created equality between her and Jason. By doing this Euripides wanted to shock his audience and make them question their belief in the superiority of Greek masculinity. Madea used these beliefs against these "men" and made them look like fools.

Vanity would be the death of her, and would be the death of her father the king. Madea got her revenge on the king that exiled her, and the women who stole her husband.

She took the gorgeous robe and dressed herself in it,

Her head there oozed out blood and fire mixed together.

However; Jason still had not suffered enough and he was the last person in her game of revenge. Jason mistake was to believe that Madea as a woman was nurturing, and therefore not capable of evil. She destroys that idea when she breaks a sacred law in rebellion against her husband. She antagonizes him further by telling him she loved them and he did not. To this he replies, "'You loved them, and you killed them'" (1374). In her answer she revels why she did what she did, "'To make you feel pain'" (1375). She hurts him by killing his children and let

Some common words found in the essay are:
Worthless Nor, King Aigeus, Ancient Greece, King Kreon, ancient greece, shares sorrow, dress crown, feel pain, king madea,

Approximate Word count = 887
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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