Hi folks! Antigone and Medea are two of the most provocative readings we'll have this semester. How do you read them? What moments stand out as giving you insight into what the playwrights were trying to say?

The passage that resonated with me the most comes from Medea. In the play, Medea is seeking retaliation due to her husband, Jason’s betrayal. He accepts King Creon’s proposal to marry his daughter, Glauce. What stood out the most in the reading was the outspokenness from a female character. Unlike many characters that prior to this week’s reading, Medea demonstrates qualities where she exposes her intelligence, cleverness and boldness. Her cleverness demonstrates when she persuades the king to allow her to stay an extra day in Corinth so she can execute her plan. Not only does she outsmart King Creon, but she also cunningly deceives Jason by pretending to be the obedient, submissive woman society expects her to be. By conforming to traditional gender roles, Medea conceals her true motives and gains control, allowing her to successfully execute her plan for revenge.

I believe the author is trying to inform readers how the unconventional traits women can hold may cause harm to men. In the reading, King Creon expresses his fear to Medea. He states, “you’re a clever woman, very experienced in evil ways”. This indicates a sense of self-awareness from a man who fears the unknown. He is not accustomed to a woman being so outspoken. The author also highlights the contrast between Medea and the other women in society. In the story, it is stated that she is a foreigner with no family and no one to rely on except her husband. It suggests that because she lacks a male figure in her life, she doesn’t fit the image of the typical woman people are accustomed to. A reading that resembled Medea comes from Hesiod’s myth of Pandora. In the play, Jason enforces women to be the foundation of men suffering. The myth of Pandora recounts how the first woman’s actions introduced suffering into the world of men.

I believe the story indicates how women in ancient Greek society were expected to be submissive, emotional and sincere. Any trait opposed to that would lead to disorder in society. I also believe that the document indicates the importance of partnership between a man and a woman. Although it clearly shows that men had more freedom than women to pursue relationships outside of marriage, the fact that Medea and Jason were not aligned was ultimately Jason’s fault as he preferred self-ambition over his partnership.

I would like to know if there were other women like Medea—women who lacked protection yet were able to express themselves freely. Were women ever able to express how they truly felt in a male dominated society? Did women have conversations with girlfriends where they can share their experience and give advice to one another? I also wonder how the women in the audience reacted to the death of her children. Did the women view her as an insane woman that killed out of bitterness and jealousy? Or did women in the audience envy Medea for having the ability to have a voice and be heard?

But one point that really struck my mind: When Medea said, "Out of all things with life and understanding … we women are the most unfortunate. The first thing that we get is a husband -- for which we pay an excessively huge price. Then he turns out to be the ruler of our bodies." Such a moment crystallizes her bitterness and intensely vulnerable position as a woman in that society. The poignant and naked expression about the "ruler of our bodies" has hit so powerfully and troublingly. I think the author is drawing attention to the vulnerable situation of women in the world, as he describes dependent upon marriage, unequal to men, and lacking in self-determination. Through Medea's rage and feelings of being wronged, we see a woman pushed to the extreme by patriarchal structures. The extreme violence of the poisoned gift scene indicates that betrayal, injustice, and revenge are tightly woven in this world. The damnation of personal grief as it dips into public justice is quite an interesting commentary, giving a sense that societal morals constrain the one wronged, most often a woman. There also seems to be a largely cautionary streak running through this: ambition, marriage for political gain, concern for status, and gifts—all these are shown to have dark consequences. The dramatist seems to be suggesting that power, outward symbols (gold, diadems), and social status can conceal violence and vulnerability. This document explains this time by talking about the merit of marriage alliances: The very fact of Jason marrying a king's daughter, coupled with Medea's assumption of being displaced/exiled, suggests a society in which lineage and status do matter, plus international (or inter-city) marriage ties. This document supports the idea drawn from our earlier readings that women in antiquity often had limited autonomy, and their lives were strongly shaped by marriage, family, status, and the decisions made by men.

In Antigone, the part that stood out was when she chooses to bury her brother even though she knows it will cost her life. That moment showed how strong her beliefs were and how much she valued family and divine law over human law. Sophocles wanted to show how people struggle between what is right by the gods and what is right by the state. Antigone’s courage shows that sometimes doing the right thing means standing alone. It shows that people in ancient Greece believed strongly in divine justice. It also tells us that women were not expected to challenge authority, so Antigone’s actions were very bold for that time. This connects to Medea, where another woman also goes against society. Both show how women in Greek stories acted with strong emotions and beliefs even when it went against men or rulers. I want to know how real women in Greece were treated when they stood up for what they believed in and if they ever had any freedom like these characters in the plays.

What stood out to me the most was when Medea says that women suffer more than men because they "buy a husband" and must then "accept him as master," expressing her pain and the choices available to women in ancient Greek society. Euripides, here, is using Medea's voice to represent the injustice for women, that their lives were limited by marriage and male authority. Through her fury, Euripides is also indicating a radical critique of gender roles, which must have been shocking for an Athenian audience.

This document demonstrates a specific time and place that required women to be silent and obedient, in which Medea's speech contests wholly. Medea's intelligence, passion, and rebellion do make her both powerful and dangerous, indicating the threat women's independence posed for patriarchal Athens. Compared to our earlier readings, including Hesiod's Theogony and representations of women in Homer, Euripides allows for female suffering to be articulated in a more complex, human voice. It conforms with and complements the theme of limited female agency, but it completely differs from our earlier texts in that a woman has been given space to articulate her suffering, to think critically, and to address and critique her treatment. I am curious to learn about the reaction of an Athenian audience to Medea, and whether or not Euripides intended for Medea to serve as a feminist statement or a warning.

The detail that jumped out to me from the reading Medea was when Medea decided to kill her own children. She killed her children and took them with her so that no enemy could harm her children even after their death. Even though it seems like Medea killed her children to save them from the cruel punishment of her enemies. However, that does not justify the murder of her own children. The author might be trying to show the consequences of revenge and betrayal through Medea's actions. It shows how anger and hate can also bring self-destruction. It is a perfect example of the idea that sometimes you must lose something to gain something, just as Medea had to sacrifice her children in order to take revenge on her enemies. The documents seem to contradict the perception of women from this time. Medea went beyond societal expectations to attempt murder, showing the powerful image of women. I would like to find out more about why Medea decided to kill her children and take their bodies with her when she escaped. Why didn’t she simply take them with her alive instead of killing them?

A key moment that stood out to me is when Medea says’ “Women in Corinth, I have come out here, outside the house, so you won’t think ill of me.” This line specifically shows how aware Medea is of society’s judgement toward women and how unusual it is for her to speak publicly. By stepping outside, Medea challenges the traditional role of Greek women, who were expected to stay silent and hidden in the home.

I believe Euripides uses Medea to question gender norms and expose the unfairness women faced. Her intelligence and emotional strength go against the stereotype of women as irrational or weak. Although Medea’s actions later are extreme, her voice represents female power and frustration in a society that limits women.

Ultimately this passage can reveal how patriarchal ancient Greece was, yet Euripides gives Medea a strong voice that forces the audience to see her as more than just a victim. I’m curious to how a real Greek society and the women within them might have related to her defiance.

The line that really stuck with me was when Medea says, “Of all creatures that can feel and think, we women are the worst treated things alive.” It hit me hard because it shows how trapped women were back then, and how aware Medea was of her own unfair situation. You can feel how much pain and anger she’s carrying inside.

I think Euripides wanted to make people think about how women were treated and how little power they had. Medea isn’t just angry because of Jason—she’s angry at the whole system that left her with no real choices. It’s sad but also powerful to see her stand up for herself, even if she goes too far.

This says a lot about ancient Greek society and how strongly men controlled everything. Women were expected to stay quiet and loyal, and Medea completely breaks that image. I think that’s why she shocked people so much.

It is the same situation  of Antigone, since both women fight back against unfairness, but Medea does it in a darker and more personal way.

I’m really curious about how the audience back then saw her

did they see her as crazy, or did some actually understand her pain?

One passage that really stood out to me in Antigone is when Antigone says, “Zeus did not announce those laws to me… I did not think anything which you proclaimed was strong enough to let a mortal override the gods.” This part shows how brave and loyal she is to her beliefs. Even though Creon is the king, she refuses to obey him because she believes the gods’ laws are more important than human ones. It made me think about how strong Antigone’s character is, and how she’s willing to die for what she thinks is right.

I think the author, Sophocles, was trying to show the conflict between human law and divine law, and how women, like Antigone, could also be powerful and courageous even when society expected them to be quiet. This story tells us a lot about ancient Greece. It was a time when family honor, respect for the gods, and obedience to authority were all major parts of life. It also relates to other readings we’ve done about women in ancient times, like Medea by Euripides, because both women challenge what men expect of them and stand up for themselves, even if it leads to tragedy. What I’d like to learn more about is how audiences back then reacted to Antigone. Did they see her as a hero or as someone too rebellious for a woman?