Blog 2 Questions #3

When analyzing the roles played in the famous plays called Antigone by Sophocles and Medea by Euripides, one can find that the roles of womanhood play a very drastic role throughout both plays. But it is without saying that without these roles, one would not see the elements of love and bravery within these characters while reading these plays. The roles of women throughout these two plays show that they are influence by so many other factors and it can affect everyone in the result of that. With both Medea and Antigone anyone can clearly see that they were both leaders and stood up for what's right.

In the play of Antigone, the main character was a woman that was extremely mad. She was mad because her brother fought and both died. With the being said only one had the privilege of being buried while the other layer above ground to rot. Before letting this sink in, one would have to remember that in Ancient Greece it was considered a disgrace to not be buried because that would mean that the person wouldn't have the chance to rest in peace. With this being said Antigone was determined to go against of the kings’ demands and go out and buried her brother. Even when she sees that everyone does not agree with disobeying the kings, she still makes it her goal to bury her brother anyways. Antigone felt determined to do this for her brother, because after all that is her blood and she felt it was only right that he rest in peace like her other brother. Everyone knew what would happen if she did this, but she didn’t care, even if they took her life, she would still do what she had to do for family.

            What was interesting about this character was the she was the opposite of her sister. Her sister Ismene didn’t believe in confrontation and thought that it would be best to just obey what the king wanted and nothing would happen. Small comments like, “My poor sister is this is how things are, what I can do to prevent or change them?”(33-34), are what separate both Antigone and Ismenes’ character. This brought a great deal and annoyance to Antigone, because she felt that if she was defending her brother, then Ismene should do the same. She believes that because those were her only brothers she needed to respect them; “Yes, my brother and yours, even if you wish he were not. I will not be caught betraying him.”(41-42). the only difference with that is, Antigone and Ismene both have very different characters, both in which clash tremendously. This is why throughout this whole situation, Antigone is disappointed in her sister,  because she feels that since it was both hers and Ismenes’ brother that was laying there, she believes that she should have the same outrage that she has.

            With Medeas’ role as a woman, it can be said that she is somewhat similar to Antigone in the senses that she goes with what she believes in. This is a lady that is filled with rage because her husband Jason cheated on her. She was so enraged that she even attempted and succeeded in killing her own children, (1396-1399), only to get back at her husband. Jason was a man that wanted the best for his children, so in doing this he planned to marry into royalty so he can have a better life for his kids. Medea did not believe that was the whole truth. This is why she set out to get revenge on him, she believed he was faithful and she even betrayed her family and killed her brother for him, so one can understand the frustration she had when she found out that he was with another woman. Not only did she kill her two children she even poisoned Jasons’ recent wife, this was also part of her revenge towards Jason. It’s important to understand that she did actually love her children but she hated Jason more and ultimately, his hate that she had won the decision. She believed that it would be better to kill her kids instead of leaving them behind, “Never! I will bury them with my hands, taking them to the sanctuary of Hera of the Cape…” (1378-88). She is a woman that should not be tampered with, she is strong and proves to be opposite of what women were like in Ancient Greece at that time.