The Tragedy Of Medea And Nora - 2328 Words

Aristotle’s definition of tragedy found in his Poetics, translated by S.H Butcher, is that the genre is â€Å"an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude† (23). The different â€Å"magnitude[s]† of tragedy are explored in both Henrik Ibsen’s and in Euripides’ plays; arguably both are influenced by contrasting circumstances at the time of writing. Often the male is seen as the hero in tragedies, with strength being seen as a masculine trait and weakness as a feminine trait. However, Helene P. Foley argues that â€Å"although many female characters in tragedy do not violate popular norms for female behaviour, those who take action, and especially those who speak and act publicly and in their own interest, represent the†¦show more content†¦The suggestion that he is ‘looking out’ for Medea is ironic as it was his own actions that lead to her feeling deceived by someone that she had done all sh e could to help. There is also a sense that he believes himself to be untouchable, despite what he has done, emphasising that it is Medea that is the one who has done something wrong by expressing her emotions. His seeming arrogance is what, arguably, pushes Medea to the infanticide that she commits at the end of the play because he does not own up to what he has done she feels it only right to punish him in the best way that she seems as fitting, killing his children. Nonetheless, Gamel also argues that â€Å"many tragedies feature strong, transgressive female characters and raise questions about the nature and role of women† (486), in the case of Euripides’ play this â€Å"strong, transgressive female† is Medea. He paints her as an extremely bold and stubborn character that is consumed by powerful grief, and it is this grief that fuels her own actions making her a strong female character. Medea is therefore seen as the tragic heroine of the play; however this idea is a complicated one as she does not fit the standards of a hero being morally good, rather it is argued that she is more of a barbarian. Euripides foreshadows Medea’s barbaric actions when she tells her sons that she wishes they were ‘done for, along with [their] father’ (78), her response to the injustice she feels. This sense of