Nora and Medea: Are they unconventional wives in a male-dominated society?

Medea, in 'Medea', and Nora, in 'A Doll's House', are both women who seem to suffer badly at the hands of their husbands in two male-dominated societies; the former in ancient Greece, the latter in nineteenth century Norway. Each does something important for her husband involving personal sacrifice, for which she expects certain treatment in return, but when this is not forthcoming, how do they react? Do they accept the roles of conventional wives, demure …

…the two characters willingly make for their husbands, whom they love, the two women act conventionally. After they see their husbands in their true lights, they each react in their own unconventional ways, and refuse to play the role of victim often given to women. In this, at least, they revolt totally against the stereotypes enforced by their respective patriarchal societies two thousand years apart, and behave similarly to women in more modern egalitarian societies.