Murasaki and Medea

614 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Women's roles in media

Murasaki and Medea

Although The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu, is set in late tenth-century Japan, the plights of the characters are universal. In Chapter 12, Genji leaves his wife, who is named after the author, and goes into exile. Desperately in love with Genji, Muraskai is similar to Euripides' Medea in the play of the same name. She suffers because her husband, Jason, abandons her for a princess. Shikibu and Euripides seem to have shared the same worldviews about women's emotional dependence on their mates.

Women often rely on men to whisk them away from their old lives and to take the place of their father. Genji brings Murasak at age ten from a convent to his world at the Japanese court and raises her as the perfect wife. As an adopted daughter, Murasaki gradually becomes "closer to Genji than her own father" (2143). As for Medea, she kills her father and replaces him with Jason, who then takes her away to Corinth (474-475). The main difference is that Murasaki, since she was only a child, does not choose Genji as a replacement, but rather is forced...

Show More
Related

  • Female Gender Identity In The Memoirs Of Lady Hyegyong And The Tale Of Genji

    1890 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ironically, Murasaki was able to write The Tale of the Genji in a patriarchal environment, which was typically dominated by male poets and historical writers. The background of this 11th century Japanese “novel” defines the unusual circumstances of a male-dominant literary culture, which allowed Murasaki to tell this story as a female author. In her own diary, Murasaki Shikibu writes about the power of patriarchal authority in the royal court, when she learns that the emperor was reading Tale of Genji. This aspect of 11th century Japanese society defines the assumption of ignorance and submissiveness that Murasaki had to endure as a female

    Read More

  • How Does Green Light Affect Yeast

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    Several experiments have been conducted on how light affects yeast. Most results have been clearly presented the same. Tennessee State University studied changes in yeast respiration in the presence of blue and green light, find that light can be used to control short period respiratory oscillations in yeast. (Yeast metabolism altered by exposure to light, December 12, 2013, Danielle Venton.) “Oscillations- movement back and forth at a regular speed.” (Medical Dictionary, 2012.)

    Read More

  • Medea: A Tale of Tragedies

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Medea is the tale of a forbidden love that ends in dismay. Euripides, who was a playwright born in 485 BC in ancient Greece wrote this aforementioned play, which was one of the greatest tragedies of all time. Medea tells the story of a barbarian princess who travels to Greece with her true love, Jason. When they arrive in Athens Medea sickeningly tricks Jason’s political rival Pelias own children into brutally killing him. The people in Athens are unaccustomed to her vicious ways, and are astonished at her behavior in civilization. This causes Jason to deeply worry about his political career. He then leaves Medea for the princess of Corinth. Out of rage and spite for Jason Medea kills the king, the princess, and her own two sons. She then flees to her good friend Aegean’s kingdom for safe haven. Every one of the conflicts through this catastrophic novel helps to enhance each characters personality. The tale of Medea and its characters are changed and shaped through the themes of love, betrayal, and revenge.

    Read More

  • Medea and Lysistrata

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    Medea and Lysistrata Medea and Lysistrata are two Greek literatures that depict the power which women are driven to achieve in an aim to defy gender inequality. In The Medea, Medea is battling against her husband Jason, whom she hates. On the other hand, in Aristophanes' Lysistrata, the protagonist Lysistrata plotted to convince and organize the female gender to protest against the stubbornness of men. In terms of defining the purpose of these two literatures, it is apparent that Euripedes and Aristophanes created characters that demonstrate resistance against the domination of men in the society. Despite the contrast in the characters of Euripedes' Medea and Aristophanes' Lysistrata, the two playwrights depicted how gender inequality can start a fire.

    Read More

  • The Ideal of a Man and Woman of the Heian court Based on the Tale of Genji

    1322 Words  | 3 Pages

    When assessing Tale of Genji and attempting to understand the ideal qualities of a man or woman of the time, one must also take into account the author and the audience she writes for, as well as what should be considered a miniscule amount of background knowledge on the Heian era of Japan. Murasaki Shikibu was a gentlewoman in the services of the Empress Akiko (or Shoshi, as she is sometimes called) during the reign of Emperor Ichijou, taken into service for her remarkable literary prowess. The Heian court life was thus constantly revolving around our Murasaki, and allowed her to write what is arguably the most accurate literary depiction of itself and its inhabitants available to the public. The novel was written for the yokibito, or women of the aristocracy.

    Read More

  • Medea And Jason Essay

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Greek drama, “Medea,” by Euripides, portrays a wildly unhealthy marriage that seems beyond the point of saving. The relationship between Medea and Jason is falling apart due to manipulation and a major power imbalance. In essence, “Medea,” though thousands of years old, shows that if both parties do not respect and love each other, a relationship will not last.

    Read More

  • medea

    455 Words  | 1 Pages

    The tragic play Medea is a struggle between reason and violence. Medea is deliberately portrayed as not a ‘normal woman’, but excessive in her passions. Medea is a torment to herself and to others; that is why Euripides shows her blazing her way through life leaving wreckage behind her. Euripides has presented Medea as a figure previously thought of exclusively as a male- hero. Her balance of character is a combination of the outstanding qualities of Achilles and Odysseus.

    Read More

  • Medea

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is easy to agree with a family member or friend about a bad decision, but it is much more difficult to agree with someone you do not like, or do not even know personally. When that person is a fictional character it is even more challenging. Medea is a very pitiful character, but she is also rather cunning in the way she carries out her actions. However, due to the overwhelming sense of wrong-doing, the reader may find it easy to identify with her. Medea makes a wonderful pathetic character because of her strange way of thinking and rationalizing, ability to manipulate people, and her strong desire to make Jason suffer.

    Read More

  • Representation of Womens Roles in Society- Medea

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Culture creates difference in gender through social issues such as marriage, education, childbearing and employment. Women in many of today’s cultures are represented by the roles they choose rather than have imposed on them, although sexism is an ongoing issue presented in everyday life. Medea has little choice on her represented role due to society in that period of time. She uses her manipulative ability and cleverness to get what she wants. Her life is made difficult due to society’s restrictions and is stereotyped into many things in which she is not. This clearly shows that women’s lives are represented by the roles they either choose regarding social restrictions or the roles they have imposed on them.

    Read More

  • Women in Ancient Greece

    992 Words  | 2 Pages

    Euripides, one of Ancient Greece’s most famous playwrights, could be considered as one of the earliest supporters of women’s rights. With plays such as Alcestis and Medea, he clearly puts an emphasis on the condition of women, and even integrates them in the Chorus of the latter play, a feat that was not often done in Ancient Greece. Throughout the years, it has been argued that the two central characters in each of those plays offer conflicting representations of women in those times, and I can safely say that I agree with that argument. I will expand on my view by pointing out an important similarity between Alcestis and Medea, followed by a key difference, and will finish it off by contrasting them with the Ancient Greek depiction of an “ideal woman.”

    Read More

  • Feminism and its Role in Medea

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    Internal conflicts within Medea shed light on her true character and her difficulties to make decisions. Throughout the play, there are many cases of Medea contemplating her decisions and this is done so the readers can see that Medea thinks for herself, and doesn’t let any male control her life. In the play, Medea states, “I had rather stand three times in the front line than bear one child” (1. 249-50). This shows that her internal conflict with not wanting to go through childbirth again is proof that her character is a little bit of a “masculine” woman. In the quote she is saying she’d rather battle than give birth. In a way, it is an example of Medea’ rejection of the foundation of the typical role of woman. Another example of Medea having an

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Medea by Euripides

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ironically, Medea’s actions are similar to a man when she takes charge of her marriage, living situation, and family life when she devices a plan to engulf her husband with grief. With this in mind, Medea had accepts her place in a man’s world unti...

    Read More

  • Act IV: Compare And Contrast The Different Views Of King Henry V

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    King Henry is known for his famous speeches. He speaks of honor, courage, and dying with honor, mostly dying while serving your kingdom. In his speeches, however, his true nature is not revealed. He speaks to inspire soldiers and men going to war, but he is just fulfilling his obligations as king. Henry is far from a hopeless romantic. We feel his passion more so when he is speaking to the soldier on the battlefield in opposed to his speech with Catherine about marriage and France. Though the patriotic speeches he gives are inspiring and

    Read More

  • Power Of Medea In Ovid's Metamorphoses

    460 Words  | 1 Pages

    The biggest theme in Metamorphoses by Ovid is, not surprisingly, transformation. These characters work toward transformation in order to end up as something completely unlike what they started as. Medea, however, doesn’t exactly fit that bill. One could say that Medea avoids the transformation of herself, but instead possesses the power of metamorphoses and uses it to her own advantage.

    Read More

  • World War 1 Causes

    594 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nationalism, militarism, building of alliances and imperialism were the long term cause of the World War One. “Nationalism was unquestionably the force

    Read More

More about Murasaki and Medea

Open Document