Euripides #Medea, has always been target of great fascination. When I read the play for the first time, I felt divided and got to the conclusion that I could explore this story from different perspectives. For one side, I could look at Medea as a criminal and use the Play as a study on the motivations that lead someone to commit such extreme acts, as the one she does. For another, instead of focusing on the character, I could explore the social context of the story. I asked myself if Medea could be the product (not a victim) of an (ancient?) society, where men possessed a superior economic, social and political power over woman.
The production of #BenPower, staged at the National theatre, last year, exposed a problem that goes beyond the thematic of crime, vengeance or relationship destruction. The staging, highlighted the social structure in which the character is inserted, and stressed the differences of power between both the male and the female sex. Men possessed total control over marriage. Without a husband, money family or city Medea loses everything. The only way she can hurt her husband is by destructing the only thing she loves but has power over: her children.
In 2015 there was a global interest towards gender inequality: #Beyoncé, in #Flawless, incorporated #ChimamandaNgozieAdichie Ted talk Talk speech where the teacher affirmed:
#MalalaYousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize and stressed the differences between both sexes in terms of access to education in underdeveloped countries. #EmmaWatson also had the opportunity to speak in the United Nations about gender inequality and the operational director of Facebook, #SherylSandeberg, wrote Lean In a book that promotes and incentives young women to follow their ambitions after university, proving it's possible to conciliate a successful career with motherhood.
It's fascinating that a play written in 431 a.C provides material for a pertinent theatre production, and, inspires a discussion on the role of Woman in the XXI century. Have we distanced ourselves from this society that limits woman power to the capacity of attracting the opposite sex? When I look around myself, in Lisbon, it becomes clear that we still live in a "man's world": from bank advertisements that incentive young girls to have their mother's "humor" and their father's "spread", to men walking in exclusive male groups in the business areas of the city, there are little references that link the female sex with ideas of leadership, independence or strength. I believe this has a great impact in the role women play in modern society. The interest for the role woman play socially is still relevant in 2016, and the National Theatre production about Medea's tragedy lead me to conclude, that maybe that "ancient society" , is perhaps more modern than we think.
In 2015 there was a global interest towards gender inequality: #Beyoncé, in #Flawless, incorporated #ChimamandaNgozieAdichie Ted talk Talk speech where the teacher affirmed:
“"We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you would threaten the man. Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Now marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same? We raise girls to see each other as competitors not for jobs or accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are.”"
#MalalaYousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize and stressed the differences between both sexes in terms of access to education in underdeveloped countries. #EmmaWatson also had the opportunity to speak in the United Nations about gender inequality and the operational director of Facebook, #SherylSandeberg, wrote Lean In a book that promotes and incentives young women to follow their ambitions after university, proving it's possible to conciliate a successful career with motherhood.
It's fascinating that a play written in 431 a.C provides material for a pertinent theatre production, and, inspires a discussion on the role of Woman in the XXI century. Have we distanced ourselves from this society that limits woman power to the capacity of attracting the opposite sex? When I look around myself, in Lisbon, it becomes clear that we still live in a "man's world": from bank advertisements that incentive young girls to have their mother's "humor" and their father's "spread", to men walking in exclusive male groups in the business areas of the city, there are little references that link the female sex with ideas of leadership, independence or strength. I believe this has a great impact in the role women play in modern society. The interest for the role woman play socially is still relevant in 2016, and the National Theatre production about Medea's tragedy lead me to conclude, that maybe that "ancient society" , is perhaps more modern than we think.
Rita Tavares
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