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How the Themes and Issues in Medea Relate To

Today's Society

In today's society there are many things that have come about only in recent times. Things such as drugs, abuse of alcohol and dangerous weapons have only made themselves apparent in the last hundred years or so. However, still evident in our world, as they were 2000 years ago are things such as divorce, male dominance and mothers who kill their children. Although Medea was written almost 500 BC it still portrays many things that manifest in today's current affairs. Divorce in eminent in the play because Jason leaves Medea for another woman, this is still very common today. Male dominance is portrayed when Jason feels that he can just toss Medea aside when he feels like it. And Mothers who kill their children is evident of course when Medea kills her own offspring. "Your father's treachery cost you your lives." (Pg 59).

Divorce is an important subject today just as it was 2500 years ago when Medea was written. Jason leaves Medea for a younger woman. This isn't uncommon these days. According to http://www.divorcereform.org/rates.html about 50% of first marriages for men under age 45 may end in divorce and between 44 and 52% of women's first marriages may end in divorce for these age groups. This is an incredibly high statistic compared to the 1970's when the rate of divorce never exceeded 40%. Jason and Medea separate because of Jason's infidelity, this is one of the major reasons why people today divorce. A lot of men, and woman for that matter, decide that they would prefer a different partner and they leave the one that they have. Not so different to what Jason does to Medea. "How we are besmirched and mocked by this man's broken vows, and all our hopes deceived." (Pg 32). Clearly Medea is very hurt by what Jason has done to her, just like any other woman today would be.

Male dominance, although not as prominent as it was, still is an important issue in today's society. Euripides builds women up to be quite useless. As Jason states, "If women didn't exist human life would be rid of all its miseries."(Pg 34). In today's society, male dominance is still in existence. Men bring home the money, and women stay home and look after the children. Even though this is changing, it is still the image that most people have in their minds. Another aspect of male dominance in today's world is that most of the advanced countries in the world have never had a female leader. Be that President or Prime Minister. Some of these countries are America, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Italy and Australia. In Medea, Jason talks