Four Views on Women in Greek Tragedy

In the characters of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Antigone >and Medea, the ancient Greek playwrights Aeschylus, >Sophocles, and Euripides offer four distinctly different >views of the roles which women played in Greek society. >While women definitely played a role which was subservient >to the one played by men, it is obvious from these >characters that women were seen by the ancient Greeks as >capable of being strong, intelligent, resourceful, loyal, >and heroic. These characters also show the …

…at rage puts it on a par with an >elemental force of nature. There seems to me to be an >implied warning here that women should be treated with >respect. Indeed, whenever the women have been treated >poorly, retribution comes against those who have misused >them. In the case of Medea and Clytemnestra, this >retribution comes from their own hands, but those around >Jocasta and Antigone suffer as well.