A Civilized
Barbarian
The term
"Barbarian" is Greek in origin. The Greeks originally levied it at
any races who were not of a Greek origin; especially those who threatened Greek
civilization and culture. Because most of these "strangers" regularly
assaulted Greek cities, the term "barbarian" gradually evolved into a
rude term: a person who was a sub-human, uncivilized, and regularly practiced
the most vile and inhuman acts imaginable. It is obvious that a barbarian has
not been considered as a member of society as well as a woman in Ancient
Greece. In many Greek tragedies that we have read women either play a secondary
role or absent at all. That is why it is so unusual to read a tragedy where
woman is a main character and not only that – a woman is a foreigner, a
barbarian.
Euripides’s
“Medea” was created in a period of Peloponesian War. Each war, regardless of
the century it occurred, not only destroyed and killed but also caused the
reappraisal of the values in the society. Literature, in Ancient Greece, used
to be a main reflection of what the society thinks what values and rules it has
and what impact the war had on people’s minds. Obviously, the Peloponesian War
has brought a lot of stress and chaos into the society, so during this time
some poets have foreseen the intellectual revolution. Euripides, however, was
the first one who created the play where he opposed a barbarian to someone
“civilized”; he has his Medea confront Jason. The civilized Jason is more barbaric
in his emotional callousness than the barbarian Medea, but by the end of the
play she exacts a barbaric penalty.
The Nurse calls
Medea a "strange woman." She is anything but typical. Euripides
admits from the outset that this is a bizarre tale of an exceptional human
being.
Lest she may sharpen a sword an
thrust to the heart,
Stealing into the palace where
the bed is made,
Or even kill the king and the
new-wedded groom,
And thus bring a greater
misfortune on herself.
Two great pains
tear Medea: the betrayal of Jason and her betrayal of her country and family
(and consequent exile). The two are interwoven and double her sorrow. Guilt,
loneliness, rejection, love, all war within her.
Ah, I have suffered
What should be wept for
bitterly. I hate you,
Children of a hateful mother. I
curse you
And your father. Let the whole
house crash.
Of course Medea
is barbarian, she came from a different country, she is violent and everyone
knows that she posses the unique and in somewhat supernatural power that can
make people to do things her way. These characteristics correspond to the
definition of barbarian in the Ancient Greece. On the other hand, we realize
that the part of her power is her intellect, which is not barbarians’ own
distinctive feature. People, including the king, are afraid of Medea.
Kreon:
I am afraid of
you, - why should I dissemble it? -
I believe their
fear is based not only on the fact that she has a great passion and able to do
something terrible, but also on the fact that people start to realize that a
barbarian is a human who can think, who has emotions and feelings and,
moreover, who can take control over them. Another factor that scares people is
her being a woman. In Ancient Greece women had not had a political power; their
voices have never been heard. Medea’s voice is not only can be heard, but also
her speeches are manipulative. She is able to use any rhetoric speech that
appeals to the emotions of the people. Medea provokes a passion in them in
response to her own.
Kreon:
…
You are a clever woman, versed
in evil arts,
And are angry at having lost
your husband’s love.
Medea is smart,
she is greatly aware of being a "foreigner" and the Corinthians seem
to echo that awareness; she understands why she is not welcomed in the society,
she realizes that she has to leave, but her emotional pain makes her to do
unthinkable.
Pain is often the
source of anger and then violence. That progression is one of Euripides' main
themes. "Great people's tempers are terrible." The greatness of the
temper is one measure of the greatness of the person who is angry. Medea’s
passion causes human tragedy. Medea also understands that her passion and anger
is based on the betrayal. Jason did not keep his word, he has broken the oath
and this was unacceptable for Medea. At the same time, she realizes that in the
Greek society people are more materialistic and ideas of love and faithfulness
are seem to be barbaric and silly.
Jason:
Change your ideas
of what you want, and show more sense.
Medea’s primitive
passion is pitted against the civilized demands of a Jason. He is empty inside,
he has no emotions, no passion; the only thing that he has is the desire. The
desire to stabilize his political position. He used Medea for his own good: she
helped him to escape and to survive. Right now it is the time for Jason to move
on with his life; he doesn’t need Medea any more. Moreover, in some way he
thinks he helped Medea and she should be thankful for that.
Jason:
…
In so far as you helped me, you
did well enough.
But on this question of saving
me, I can prove
You have
certainly got from me more than you gave.
Jason, as he
thinks, lives by the law instead of “the sweet will of force”. But what is the
law? Who has it been written for? In Ancient Greece all the laws were written
for the men, who used to have the political power. Jason is a perfect example
of a representative of this society. He even admits, that women are the
unnecessary creatures. They are needed only for producing children.
Jason:
…
It would be
better far for men
To have got their children in
some other way, and women
Not to have existed. Then life
would have been good .
Medea wants to
make Jason suffer by making him listen, but for Jason her argument is invalid.
I think Medea is trying to prove that the society, in which money and one’s
political position are two things that matter, will not have any future. There
are some other things, such as love, dedication and ability to keep your word,
that are needed in the society for its success. In this sense Medea’s ideas are
more civilized than Jason’s emotionless and a blind desire for a power. As I
mentioned earlier, these Medea’s ideas are not valid in the Greek society, so
she plays her barbaric game until the very end of the play. Lessons are learned
and tables are turned. The oppressor
cannot oppress forever.
Word Count: 1150
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