CLA232H1 Lecture Notes - Ponos, Menelaus, Aegeus
Document Summary
By greek thought we mean greek men thought, culture and society dominated by men. Medea combines a convenient bridge between barbarian and grek and male and female shes both barbarian, woman, and sorceress. Play stages conflict between barbarian witchy woman and jason her husband a greek male hero. Jason favoured character, audience at city dionysia is predominantly male. Furies so terrifying on stage, all women in audience spontaneously aborted. Well bread women not supposed to leave house or be around other men. If women were in audience, might not have been legitimate wives, but concubines, prostitutes, or foreighners, where ideology of athenian feminity not held so strong. Not so simple, more nuanced than youd expect. Foreign woman more civiliozed and superior to greek male. Same tension as with barbarians and greek. On other hand we will see examples of greek tragedy/literature depicting strong intelligent rational women. Women who are equal if not superior to the men.
