Medea | Sample answer

2006 Higher Level Exam Question

What insights does Euripides’ play “Medea” give us into the different ways women and men viewed marriage at the time?

There is no denying that men and women had different views of marriage. Euripides provides excellent insights in the play Medea. This difference am be seen when Medea makes her first speech to the chorus after finding out Jason is interested in marrying another. Medea speaks of marriage almost like a trap. They are bought and sold like objects, taken from their homes and forced to lead a new life. Medea explains that women must always “Look to one man only.” She must stay at home and she is never allowed to be too intelligent. What is even worse is that men can wander and look for pleasure elsewhere if they get bored. “If a man grows tired of the company at home, he can go out, and find a cure for tediousness.” There is a double standard for men with regards to remaining loyal at this time. Men are allowed to be unfaithful but “for women, divorce is not respectable; to repel the man, not possible.” This clearly displays how women had to be faithful and constantly loyal in marriage whereas men could be as unfaithful as they liked and the marriage would still continue.

It is clear that women viewed marriage as sacred and central to their identity. By Jason leaving Medea, he has taken everything away from her. As a result of her loss of status and power, the chorus and the nurse are completely on her side. It is evident from this increase in support for Medea from all of the other female characters that all women see marriage as one of the most important roles a woman can have at the time. Women were seen as successful to be given the status of a wife. Medea believes that women are “weak and timid in most things…but touch a woman right in marriage and there is no bloodier revenge.” Clearly, marriage and loyalty are of extreme importance to women. Medea is even willing to take revenge against Jason because she feels so strongly about his rejection of her. Even the chorus are willing to turn a blind eye to Medea’s plans of revenge against Jason because they feel that marriage is just as sacred ass Medea does. “To punish Jason will be just.” The chorus feel that Medea’s situation could be their own.

Medea has given up everything to be with Jason, at this time it was expected of women to do whatever your husband asked. Medea changed her whole life to be with Jason. She moved from her barbaric home, Colchis leaving her father and brother behind her. “I have no mother, brother, Medea | Sample answer 1 nor any of my own blood to turn to in his extremity.” Medea has even had to give up using her incredible powers. As a witch, she has the ability to put spells on others as well as other things. Clearly, Medea has devoted herself to Jason as expected a woman would do when she gets married. “Jason was my whole life; he knows that well.” I feel very sorry for Medea because she gave up everything she had and Jason no longer feels that their marriage is worth his time.

In Medea’s second encounter with Jason, men’s views of marriage are exposed. Medea begins to act as a submissive wife which Jason sees as the ideal type of wife. What he does not realise is that she is actually manipulating him into taking the golden coronet and dress laced with poison in an attempt to kill Jason’s bride to be, “Only naturally a woman is angry when her husband marries a second wife.” This shows how Jason views marriage as something temporary that he can leave as soon as he finds someone more appealing. Jason sees marriage as a relationship where men are the stronger sex and women are expected to comply to what the man says. “If my wife values me at all she will yield to ne.” As soon as Medea begins to act weak and emotional, he speaks to her in a condescending and patronising way because woman were perceived as expendable in marriage.

It is clear from this okay that men viewed marriage as a means of creating a lineage whereby the woman would bear hem children when they were finished with one wife, they could move onto the next and it was completely acceptable to do so. For men, marriage was a way of increasing status and becoming more powerful. This is exactly what Jason does, he leaves Medea for the princess of Corinth, Glauce, in the hopes that he will become the heir to the throne when the king Creon, dies. Jason argues that he has married Glauce “to ensure your future, and to give my children brothers of royal blood and build security for us all.” Clearly, Jason values status and security above loyalty in marriage.

Jason also believes that marrying a woman is only a means for child bearing. He even wishes that there was some other way to have children because women ae the cause of all misery. “If only children could be got some other way without the female sex.” This highlights how marriage for men us a means of achieving what they want, it doesn’t matter how many times they must search for wife after wife, mean will continue being unfaithful until they are wealthy, secure, full of power and satisfied with their status.

Medea | Sample answer 2