Critics have noted that unlike his illustrious predecessors who also specialized in Greek tragedy, Euripides is much more sensitive to the marginalized sections of society, such that many of its prominent figures are considered to be either women or people belonging to the "lower classes". This stood in stark contrast to the Greek dramatic tradition, which focused primarily on men of noble birth and divine immortals. Among other aspects, it is this realism of Euripides that makes his plays shine in retrospective analysis, attributing to them a universal and timeless quality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay In Euripides' treatment of the legend of Medea, one finds subtle subversions of the patriarchal ethos of his time, which at the same time times are balanced through its dramatic innovations in the service of a tragic ambivalence. As Richard Rutherford states in his preface to the play, "it is probable that Euripides was the first to force Medea to deliberately kill her own children", which of course constitutes the vital conflict of the play. While it is clear that Medea's need for revenge as a wronged woman is entirely justified, Euripides introduces the question of whether such a situation could justify any means of obtaining redress. Thus, the feminist affirmation comes into conflict with the fundamental notion of motherhood associated with the feminine gender, as Rutherford explains: “What kind of woman, even in such circumstances, could bring herself to kill her own young children? To further emphasize the tragic aspect, Euripides makes it more than obvious that Medea is fully aware of the horror of her actions and yet proceeds as she does, instead of mitigating her crime as an action performed in a moment of madness . Through Medea, Euripides depicts a strong-willed woman who would do everything in her power to preserve her honor and obtain the vengeance she is owed despite all the difficulties stacked against her; as in his own words: “A woman in love is evil and nothing on earth has a more murderous heart.” As a woman living in a patriarchal society in a foreign land, alienated from her own land, rejected by her husband and then banished from her state of residence, Medea has no resources or outside influence to aid her cause. Aside from Aegeus's promise of asylum and the audience's initial sympathy, it is clear that Medea must rely on her own mind to achieve her goal. It is therefore not surprising that at the beginning of the play, she wallows in the throes of despair, self-pity and anguish. From the beginning, Euripides employs a unique technique to state Medea's tragic situation, which is then echoed several times later in the play. The nurse begins the play with a vain lament of the past to emphasize the tragedy of the present, while conveying the basic premise: "If only he had never gone to the land of Colchis, the ship Argo." Because after all, if that had not been the case, these tragic events would never have happened. Apart from everything else, many murders would have been avoided by Medea, such as those of her brother Pelias; and over the course of the play, the murders of Creon, his daughter, and Medea's own sons. Therefore, even before Medea's real intention is stated in the play, it is implicitly understood that she is a dangerous woman, well versed in witchcraft and not afraid to kill people to achieve her goal; as the nurse declares: "No one will make an enemy of her will win aeasy victory. » Oaths were considered of great importance in Greek tradition, and thus, Jason's rejection of the marriage oath serves to further highlight the injustice inflicted on Medea. Accordingly, until Medea finally declares her murderous intent, Euripides continues to justify his rage and direct sympathy toward her through the perspectives of the other characters and his interactions with them, including the Corinthian female chorus. Again, public sympathy was considered very important in Greek society because of its democratic customs of debate (agon) and justice. In fact, it is with this tradition in mind that Medea finally regains her composure and appears in public to launch her appeal, which is seen as a passionate observation of the condition of women in a patriarchal world with statements such as: “Of all creatures that have life and reason, we women are the most miserable specimens... we must buy a husband, take a master to play tyrant with our bodies.” It is this objective treatment of notions of gender that marks Euripides' genius in the play, and after all, it is comforting to realize that a man writing in the fifth century BCE could possess such a keen sense of awareness. statement: “Is he so different from the rest of humanity? and on later occasions, through the chorus such as in lines 410-430, Euripides provides incisive commentary on the patriarchal hypocrisy which made adultery almost acceptable to men. This feeling is found again in the first scene of agony between Jason and Medea, where Jason's audacity in his reasoning by virtue of the fact that he was born a man is more than evident. However, although the chorus can be seen as a symbol of female solidarity, since they boldly assert, "We women will no longer bear the burden of bad reputation," in support of Medea's retaliation, even they refuse to accept his possible heinous decision. thus underlining the paradox concerning women and motherhood mentioned previously. As for the statement itself: “I will kill my own children; no one will take them from me... suffering the mockery of my enemies is something I will not tolerate”, it goes without saying that these statements reflect Medea's psychological turmoil; and in the ensuing dialogue between her and the chorus, Euripides defines the reason behind Medea's actions: “But to kill your own children – will you have the heart for it, madam? Yes; It is by doing this that I will do the most harm to my husband.” In these words, we find the deranged reasoning of a scorned woman, born of a selfishness obsessed with the notions of justice and honor. However, in this mode of rhetoric, one could infer that there is pragmatic thinking behind Medea's murder of her children, because as a woman born into a man's world, where would she have dragged her children into exile? ? What fate would they meet, and despite Jason's assurance, could she really trust the man who had already betrayed her once? “We must kill them; there is no other way. And since it is necessary, I will take their lives, I who gave them life. This tragic feeling reflects a certain heroism and courage on Medea's part, which is then juxtaposed once again with the notion of motherhood in her heartbreaking hesitations in her monologue, until she finally realizes that She is a woman guided by passion and comments on the fate of her children: “You lost this world, thanks to your father”. Then, in the messenger's detailed description of the deaths of Creon and his daughter, there is a visible devilish pleasure that overtakes Medea, as the messenger's graphic monologue provides a feeling ?.