medea
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The Role of Women in Euripides' Medea What views of women are presented in Euripides' Medea? How central are these to the play as a whole? Euripides' Medea reinforces the Athenian stereotypes of women's nature. These are explained by Aristotle's theory that unlike men, women are "unbounded" and incapable of controlling themselves, and need to have boundaries imposed on them. Women in Medea are bounded by being kept as possessions of husbands and fathers, and by being held within a society's code. Even so, the generalized Woman as exemplified by the Chorus and minor female characters, is portrayed as jealous, persuasive and dishonest, and overly emotional. The women presented in the play seem to agree with, or at least not deny, these charges. When bounded in traditional roles such as those of wife, mother and daughter, women are shown in a much more positive light, as loving and obedient. While Medea is the main female character of the play, she can not be taken as representing all women. Medea is an example of a woman...