Critics have noted that, unlike his illustrious predecessors who also specialized in Greek tragedy, Euripides has a much greater sensitivity towards marginalized sections of society, so much so that many of his Prominent figures are seen as women or people belonging to the 'lower classes'. This was in stark contrast to the Greek dramatic tradition, which focused primarily on men of noble birth and divine immortals. Apart from other aspects, it is this realism of Euripides that makes his works shine in retrospective analysis, giving them a universal and timeless quality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIn Euripides' treatment of the legend of Medea, one finds subtle subversions of the patriarchal ethos of his time, which at the same time are balanced through his dramatic innovations for the purpose of tragic ambivalence. As Richard Rutherford states in his preface to the play, "It is probable that Euripides was the first to force Medea to deliberately kill her own children," which of course is the vital conflict in the play. While it is made clear that Medea's need for revenge as an injured woman is entirely justified, Euripides introduces the question of whether such a situation could justify any means of obtaining revenge. Therefore, the feminist statement is brought into conflict with the fundamental notion of motherhood associated with the female gender, as Rutherford explains: “What kind of woman, even in such circumstances, could bring herself to kill her own children?” To further highlight the tragic aspect, Euripides makes it abundantly clear that Medea is fully aware of the horror of her actions and yet proceeds as she does, instead of mitigating her crime as an action done in a moment of madness. Through Medea, Euripides portrays a strong-willed woman who would do anything to preserve her honor and get her due revenge despite all the odds against her; as in his own words: "A woman in love makes mistakes and nothing in the world has a more murderous heart." As a woman living in a patriarchal society in a foreign country, alienated from her homeland, rejected by her husband, and then banished from her state of residence, Medea has no outside resources or influence to aid her cause. Aside from Egeus's promise of asylum and the audience's initial sympathy, it is clear that Medea must rely on her own ingenuity to accomplish her goal. It is no wonder then that at the beginning of the play he finds himself wallowing in despair, self-pity and anguish. From the beginning, Euripides uses a unique technique to state Medea's tragic situation, which is then echoed on various occasions later in the play. The nurse begins the show with a vain lament from the past to highlight the tragedy of the present, while also conveying the basic premise: "If only she had never gone to the land of Colchis, the ship Argo." After all, if this were not the case, these tragic episodes would never have occurred. On top of everything else, numerous murders would have been prevented at the hands of Medea, such as those of her brother Pelias; and in the course of the play, the murders of Creon, his daughter, and Medea's children. Therefore, even before Medea's actual intent is stated in the play, it is implicitly understood that she is a dangerous woman, skilled in witchcraft, and unafraid of killing people to serve her purpose; as the nurse states: "No one who makes an enemy of her will gain an easy victory." Oaths were considered to be of great significance in Greek tradition, and thus, Jason's rejectionof the marriage oath serves to further highlight the injustice inflicted on Medea. Accordingly, until Medea finally declares her murderous intent, Euripides continues to provide motivation for her anger and direct sympathy toward her through the perspectives of other characters and her interactions with them, including the chorus of Corinthian women . Once again, in fact, public sympathy was considered very important in Greek society due to its democratic habits of debate (agon) and justice. In fact, it is with this tradition in mind that Medea finally pulls herself together and appears in public to launch her appeal, which turns out to be a passionate observation of the female condition in a patriarchal world with statements such as: "Of all the creatures we have life and right we women are the most miserable of specimens... we have to buy ourselves a husband, get a master who will be the tyrant with our bodies". It is this objective treatment of notions of genre that marks Euripides' genius in the work and, after all, it is heartening to realize that a man writing in the 5th century BC could possess such a heightened sense of awareness. Furthermore, through mentorship affirmation: “Is he that different from the rest of humanity?” and on final occasions, through the chorus as in lines 410-430, Euripides provides incisive commentary on the patriarchal hypocrisy that made adultery seem almost acceptable to men. This sentiment echoes again in the first scene of the competition between Jason and Medea, where Jason's audacity in his reasoning by virtue of being born a man is more than evident. However, although the chorus can be seen as a symbol of female solidarity, as they boldly state: "We women will no longer bear the burden of bad reputation", in support of Medea's retaliation, they too refuse to accept her eventual atrocious decision, thus underlining the paradox regarding women and motherhood that was discussed earlier. Coming to the statement itself: “I will kill my own children; no one will take them away from me... suffering the ridicule of my enemies is something I will not tolerate”, it goes without saying that these statements reflect Medea's psychological turmoil; and in the subsequent dialogue between her and the chorus, Euripides defines the logic behind Medea's actions: “But to kill your own children – will you have the heart for that, lady? YES; this is how I will hurt my husband more.” In these statements we find the unbalanced reasoning of a scorned woman, resulting from a selfishness fixated on the concepts of justice and honor. However, in this mode of rhetoric, one could infer that there is a pragmatic thought behind Medea's murder of her children, for as a woman born into a man's world, where would she drag her children into exile? What fate would they meet, and despite Jason's assurances, could she really trust the man who had already betrayed her once? “They must be killed; there is no other way. And because they must, I will take away their life, I who gave them life.” This tragic feeling reflects a certain heroism and courage on the part of Medea, which is then contrasted once again with the concept of motherhood in her heartbreaking hesitations in the monologue, until she finally realizes that she is a woman driven by passion and comments on fate of his children: "You have lost this world, thanks to your father." Then, in Creon's detailed description of the messenger and his daughter's death, there is a visible diabolical pleasure that overcomes Medea, as the messenger's graphic monologue provides a cathartic sense of vindication. for her. After all, through these murders he ends up taking revenge on both Jason and Creon, the men who were to be blamed for his.