Conceptions of Women in Euripides Alcestis and Aeschylus Agamemnon

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Conceptions of Women in Euripides Alcestis and
Aeschylus Agamemnon

• Dawyelle Ramos
• Mentor Dr. Emily Albu
• Department of Classics
• University of California, Davis

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Introduction

• Alcestis by Euripides
• Agamemnon by Aeschylus

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Background

• Women
• Life long minors in Ancient Greece
• No political or financial rights
• Often are presented as being more powerful then
  in real life
• Why?

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Hypotheses

• Women in tragedy are depicted by extremes ideal
  wife or powerful monster
• Re-enforces the ethos that men need to control
  women

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Methods and Materials

• Qualitative analysis of female characters in 5th
  century Athenian tragedy
• Focusing on Alcestis from Alcestis by Euripides
  and Clytemnestra from Aeschylus Agamemnon

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Analysis The Ideal Wife

• Alcestis in Alcestis by Euripides
• She gives up her life for her husband
• She never berates her husband for wanting to
  cheat death

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Analysis The Masculine Woman

• Clytemnestra from Aeschylus Agamemnon
• Crafty intelligence is dangerous
• Clytemnestra kills her husband

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Discussion

• Alcestis is the ideal woman
• She up holds the ethos of female subservience to
  males
• Clytemnestra is vilified for taking action
• She goes against her nature in killing her husband

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Summary

• Ideal Wife/Woman
• Alcestis
• Does not complain
• Gives up her life for her husband

• The Masculine Woman
• Clytemnestra
• Does complain
• She kills her husband

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Future Studies

• Examine female representation in other literary
  genres and artistic media

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Conclusion

• Women are represented as extremes
• No middle interpretation
• Due to male suppression of women in Athenian
  Culture

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Acknowledgements

• Mentor Dr. Emily Albu
• McNair Scholars Program
• Classics Department at UC Davis

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Conceptions of Women in Euripides Alcestis and
Aeschylus Agamemnon

• Dawyelle Ramos
• Mentor Dr. Emily Albu
• Department of Classics
• University of California, Davis