Euripides incorporates a variety of literary devices in his play Medea. He utilizes metaphor to portray the differences between male and female. For example, “A herb most bruised is woman” (15). In Medea’s lengthy speech to the Chorus, she explicates the inconveniences of being female. She compares women to rotten medical plants: women live pathetic lives. They “must pay [their] store of gold, hoarded for that one day, to buy [themselves] some man’s love” (15). Despite wasting all their fortune on marriage, they do not have the freedom to divorce their husband—“reject [they] cannot” “for good or ill, what shall that master be” (15). However, if husbands “be wearied of the face withindoors,” they simply dismiss their wives (15).
The women of Medea even clamor for a reversal in roles. The women of Medea opt for war over childbirth. Euripides makes use of hyperbole to exaggerate the females’ envy over the males’ positions in life. Supposedly, when men “face the call of war,” females are blessed enough to “sit sheltered, hid from all peril” (16). Yet, Medea asserts how she would sooner “stand three times to face their battles, shield in hand, than bear one child” (16). Additionally, using metaphor, the Chorus spews out their desire for role reversal. “Man shall be the slave, the affrighted, the low-liver” (24). They covet the idea of reigning over men. As a result, they envision a situation where men can be compared to slaves. “The hard hating voices shall encompass [females] no more,” and females will dominate the world (24).
I have noted the controversial views that woman have in this literary piece as well. The women in Medea seem to openly abhor being women because of the mistreatment that they receive by men. And also the mistreatment they receive compared to men. In Greek society, women are almost supposed to serve men and adhere to any wishes they may have, but with all the adherence men could still be unloyal to their wives and not be bothered. This kind of behavior is what brings about the "inconveniences of being female."
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