Ruchika Gothoskar TA Ryan Walsh Classics 1B03 September 29th, 2014 Misogyny and Female Subordination in Greek Tragedies, and its Modern Day Relevance The rights and roles of women has been an unfailing topic of discussion throughout the ages and the female struggle for equality has been ceaseless. The patriarchal standards set forth by societal expectations and an unescapable male-managed culture goes beyond suffragette years, however, and is made obvious in the Greek classics by many great tragedians. Male domination is exceedingly prevalent in Euripides’ Medea, as well as Aeschylus’ Suppliant Maidens, where female subordination is eminent, and can be linked back to similar forms of misogyny still seen in present day. Euripides is often …show more content…
Within Aeschylus’ work, we see that the Danaids, or the Suppliants, are a group of women, fleeing, after learning that they are to be married off to their Egyptian cousins. At the end of the play, the women are saved from their fate by Danaus, and under the protection of King Pelasgus, who vouch for their freedom, and keep them safe from any sort of unwanted nuptials (Russell, 24-26). Not only are these women forced into a marriage with strange men, they are then only able to be saved under the protection of more men. They are quickly criticised for their actions in fleeing from this unsolicited marriage, but their actions are seemingly only justified and valued when they are under the protection of powerful men. This is very clearly exemplified in modern day through the power that men continue to hold over women – men are consistently considered more rational, and more in control of their decisions. In developing countries across the world, young women, only approaching adolescence, are sold to men substantially older than themselves. This terrifying reality opens up a world of abuse and for these young women, and often times, the only way to escape is to be under the protection of a male guardian who is able to appropriately fend on these girls’ behalf. This twisted idea of female subservience leads to abusive situations in which women are undervalued and mistreated, due solely to their