Throughout Greek tragedies, there is a well-defined line between male and female gender roles. The men are seen as money makers, punishers, and protectors; whereas women are seen as caregivers, peacekeepers, and nurturers. A man’s job held more importance than a woman’s. In the patriarchal society seen in Greek culture, women were expected to follow orders and adhere to men. Defying men would cause consequences because in ancient times reputation was everything; being defied by a woman would ultimately destroy a man’s reputation.
Due to this factor, women have been oppressed throughout history by men attempting to solidify their status in society. Influential women that resisted objectification and the patriarchal society caused such a drastic change that women today are now able to vote, work, and step away from traditional gender roles. In Hymn to Demeter, Zeus agrees to a deal with Hades in which Persephone was given to Hades as compensation, since he was forced to take the daunting task of becoming the ruler of the Underworld. As Zeus abducts Persephone, the text describes the scene as, “The many-named son of Kronos (Zeus), sprang out upon her…
Against her will he seized her and on his golden chariot carried her away as she wailed… ” (Thury 391). In this excerpt, Persephone is taken by Zeus without her consent and given to Hades as an offering to ensure that no wars/conflicts will occur between Hades and the other gods. By the use of the word “sprang,” it is seen that Persephone was caught off guard and wasn’t aware of the situation. By using the choice of the word “seized” it’s conveying an aggressive tone. The connotative meaning of the word is defined using both of the words “suddenly” and “forcibly.
These two descriptors establish the message that Zeus kidnapped Persephone without caring about what she thought of the situation. Due to the fact that Zeus could not have cared less how Persephone would react, it is implied that she is seen as an object to be traded. In the play Medea, Jason uses Creon’s daughter in order to become royalty. He explains his actions to Medea by saying, “Be well assured of this: ’twas not for the woman’s sake, I wedded the king’s daughter, my present wife; but, as I have already told thee, wished to insure thy safety and to be the father of royal sons bound by blood to my own children… (Euripides 14).
The words “insure” and “safety” show that Jason did not have love on his mind when he decided to leave Medea for Creon’s daughter. He was interested in becoming more powerful than he already was. This wasn’t the first time Jason used another woman. His purpose for marrying Medea was to gain access to the Golden Fleece. In both instances, Jason was thinking of himself. He did not care about the feelings either woman had for him. All he cared about was how they can benefit himself. In the play Antigone, Creon states that he will be a fair, but harsh king.
When Antigone goes against Creon’s orders, Creon faces a dilemma on whether or not he should follow through with punishing her. In the play, Creon attempts twice to give Antigone a way out of punishment. Creon: “Do you, I say-you, with your downcast brow-own or deny that you have done this deed? ” Antigone: “I say I did it; I deny it not. ” Creon: “… You are acquitted of a heavy charge. Now tell me, not at length, but in brief space, knew you the order not to do it? ” Antigone: “Yes, I knew it; what should hinder? It was plain” (Sophocles 133).
After she confesses the first time that she went against his orders, it is clear that Creon does not want to have to punish her based off of the ellipses provided in the text displaying that he hesitated to respond; as well as how he has to reiterate to her that she will be punished and asks her to tell him in “brief space” meaning he didn’t want her to create an elaborate lie, just the bare minimum. As a result of Antigone’s persistence incriminating herself, Creon is put into a predicament where either he must go against his own word, showing weakness, or not falter in his decision and kill Antigone.
A man’s reputation was one of the most important characteristics they could have. Creon made the harsh decision to trap Antigone in a cave to starve rather than to save her and break his promise to his kingdom. After Medea threatens Jason and her children, Creon tells her that she needs to leave, but she begs for mercy. Creon explains why she is being exiled from Corinth when he says, “I love not thee above my own family” (Euripides 9). Since Jason married Creon’s daughter, he is now part of Creon’s family.
When Creon explains to Medea that his family is more important to him than her, he is also telling her that Jason is now a part of his family and that he will protect him at all costs. He later explains that he loves his city and must protect it. Based on the fact that Creon is in a position of power, he disregards Medea’s needs because he has the obligation to protect his city first and giving in to a woman who was threatening his family would show weakness. By banishing her, Creon demonstrates his dominance over her. He is showing the public that he will make the tough calls in order to shield them from harm.
He has the ability to exile her since he is king, and establishes to the community that he will do what is necessary. There was a pretty distinct line between male and female gender roles in Greek society. In the play Medea, Medea “apologizes” to Jason due to the fact that she got mad at him for leaving her for another woman. Jason replies by saying, “Lady, I praise this conduct, not that I blame what is past; for it is but natural to the female sex to vent their spleen against a husband… ” (Euripides 21). Through the use of the word “natural,” the reader is able to understand that the way Medea reacted towards Jason was expected.
He then specifies that it is natural to the “female sex” meaning he is targeting that specific gender. He utilizes the word “vent” which carries a connotative tone of passiveness. When someone vents it is usually an act of complaining rather than a call to action. This shows that when she lashed out at Jason, he didn’t take to heart anything she said or even consider altering his behavior. Overall this quote shows how Jason forgave Medea because he connected her outburst to the simple fact that she is a woman. During the play Oedipus Rex, Creon and Oedipus get into an argument about an issue that Tiresias brought to their attention.
In the middle of the argument, the senator interrupts and says, “Here is Jocasta; in good time, I see her come to you from the palace; with her aid ’twere meet to appease your present differences” (Sophocles 25). At this moment, the senator is acknowledging Jocasta as a peacekeeper by stating that with her aid, they can resolve their differences. A traditional gender role for women in Greek culture is to bring peace during intense situations. During this time period, women were expected to be calming problem solvers. Jocasta was successful with diffusing the argument between Creon and Oedipus by asking for both sides of the situation.
Then she made them believe that what they were fighting over was not worth it and essentially ending the conflict. The relationships created between men and women have changed significantly since these Greek tragedies. The use of women by men for their own personal gain, which is seen through Jason’s actions in Medea, is widely disapproved by present day societies. Women are now thought of as equal to men, and this allows them to utilize their own personal skills and strengths to their fullest potential instead of being punished for overstepping a man as Antigone was.
Traditional gender roles have meshed together allowing both males and females to take on the opposing sex’s roles. Instead of a woman being immediately sought after to resolve conflict (as seen in Oedipus), it is now the duty of both men and women to find solutions when disagreements occur. Overall, the treatment and ideal image of the “perfect” woman have changed; they have become more independent, respected, and valuable despite years of unfair treatment.
