Comparison Between The Bacchae and The Medea - 1010 Words

In Euripides’ The Bacchae and in the Medea, there are significant binary oppositions in both plays. Binary opposition is the two opposite terms, such as good versus bad. Binary opposition is used to present both sides of a contrast (Marvin, 1). In The Bacchae and the Medea, Euripides used binary opposition to highlight the central themes. The significant binary oppositions that are used are men versus women, foreigner versus citizen, and god versus man. The contrast between men versus women is an important opposition in both plays. The women in the Greek society have no control of their life; the men are in control (Barlow 159). In The Bacchae Dionysus underminded the Greek society point view on women and empowers†¦show more content†¦The binary opposition of man versus woman starts off strong, but Euripides switches the roles in both plays. In The Bacchae the woman worship Dionysus. Pentheus disguises himself as a woman, and goes off to view the women in the mountain s, which is Dionysus plan the whole time. Pentheus dresses up as a woman and admits to wanting to see the women up at the mountains, and this goes against Pentheus’ anger at the beginning of the play (Bacchae 813-814). In the end of the play the women overpower Pentheus and destroy him to pieces (Bacchae 1125-1140). This is an example of the women being controlling of their own actions and being stronger than the men. In Medea the stereotype of the man and the woman switch. Medea is no longer going to sit around and let every man walk all over her; she states in her speech that she will take revenge on everybody that caused her misery (Medea 364-409). Barlow emphasizes on the reversal of the stereotype, stating that Medea, â€Å"is a woman, moreover, who simply refuses to any longer to accept- at any rate Greek- female stereotypes unless to use them with calculation to gain her own immediate ends† (158). Medea reversing the stereotype is the reversal of man controlling the woman, and this shows that woman as well have the power to control their own life. Euripides also highlights how