MEDEA'S STRUGGLE

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THESIS STATEMENT

Euripides shows the odious treatment of women and foreigners in Athenian society through his main character, Medea and her hatred depicted in his play, The Medea.
PURPOSE STATEMENT

Textual evidence from The Medea, reviews, and critical analysis, will provide proof that Euripides was commenting on the treatment of women and foreigners in Athenian society.
INTRODUCTION
The Medea was not a play strictly to entertain the Athenian audiences; it was also Euripides’ comments on the treatment of both women and foreigners in Athenian society. Although the play took place in Corinth, The Medea was meant for the Athenian audience to notice the parallel between the treatment of Medea throughout the play and the thoughts and actions of Athenian towards women and foreigners. “Medea’s story was not an isolated act of uncontrolled passing…but…things are not always what they seem and evil represents danger to the whole society” (Becnel Medea). Medea’s actions were caused by the evil acts done to her by both her husband and the rest of society. Despite how she appears to the men in her life, she is very smart and clever, showing that women and foreigners are intelligent and capable enough to be respected as citizens in Athenian society.
Athenian men treated women and foreigners with little dignity and respect. The treatment of both of these groups led Medea to do horrendous things throughout the play The Medea. Euripides wanted to let the Athenian audience see the error of their ways through his play. He wrote the play The Medea to showcase to the Athenian audience the way that the Athenian male treated women and foreigners and that Athenian males need to change the way they thought about both of these groups of people.

THE ...

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...ough his work The Medea, shows his feelings toward women’s and foreigner’s rights in ancient Athens. He portrayed the danger of denying foreigners and women the basic rights that every human being should have. He used to point out that foreigner’s and women’s rights needed to change for the better. He tried to show the audience to see the error of their ways and called for them to change the way treated these groups of people.
Euripides tried to show the Athenian audiences the problems with society. He expressed his ideas that these people must be treated better. The women and the foreigners not only need more political and social power, but they also need to be treated with respect and dignity within the Athenian society. Euripides showed Medea as an extreme example of the erring ways of Athens, hoping it would lead to the better treatment of foreigners and women.

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