Compare and Contrast Views of Women in Greece and Egypt during Euripides’s Time

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Compare and Contrast Views of Women in Greece and Egypt during Euripides’s Time

Euripides has often been known for his fondness for philosophical digressions. In his works, Euripides lays less emphasis on the fundamental purpose of the dramas and conveys his teachings, where almost every crucial question of political, social, gender roles, and moral science is debated at one point or another in the drama.  This paper will compare and contrast the views of women in Greece and Egypt during Euripides's time.

According to Helen Euripides, there existed significant similarities between the lives of women in ancient Greece and ancient Egypt in terms of how they were involved in religion, political structure as well as their lifestyle. The comparisons and contrasts explain their distinction in history and their dynasty's long-term successes.  During Euripide time, women faced many struggles in achieving equality with men (Allan, 21). Ancient Greek women and ancient Egyptian women were both equal to their male counterparts as far as the legislation was concerned in various settings. However, their equality was distinguished in the sense that women from Greece were married off out of necessity and were considered as property while the Egyptian women were respected and adored by their husbands and the community in general.

Egyptian Women in Euripide time were equal to men in every aspect apart from occupations. As depicted in the play women were equal to men however men were involved in fights, running the government, and management of farms while women managed the house and cooked. Men held official positions, for instance, kings, and generals, and were considered the head of the household; however, within the patriarchy, women exercised considerable independence and power.  Women were accorded respect in the Euripides times in Egypt which is evident in the presence of the gods who were both male and female and served their own equally vital purposes. The Egyptian women could hold essential positions such as priests.

On the other hand, women in Greece had limited rights compared to male citizens.  The women were not in a position to own any property, and their primary purpose in life was to bear and rear children. Women in Greece underwent many challenges and hardships, especially in marriage, inheritance, and social life, in which the three aspects shaped a submissive Greek woman. The Greek men were portrayed as lacking any perspective view of women.

In ancient Egypt, women were responsible for the nurturance and admonition of children; however, they could also work and operate the business and could also ask for a divorce. Women from Greece on the other had no influence or authority from both political and economic perspectives. The women in ancient Greece were mistreated and controlled by the men who played a superior role in society. However Helen in seeking her freedom and through her attraction to Paris the prince of Troy abandons her husband and family and elopes with Paris. In the end, Helen becomes an enemy to both the Greeks and the Trojans as the two wish her harm. Due to her fear of being punished by her husband, she blames the gods of Egypt for her actions so that her husband could pardon her. Helen's actions show that despite her seeking a better life outside Greece, she was worried about being punished due to her forbidden actions.

As depicted in Helen, women were dependent on men throughout the entirety of their lives and were kept in check by social norms. The women were secluded from men and stayed in their houses and strangers were not allowed in these rooms. This depicts women as objects to be used by men. In Greece, women had no mandate to participate in politics and were also restricted by norms regarding sexuality (Pomeroy,43). Ancient Trojan women could settle monetary choices independently unlike the Greek women who were limited to a certain amount of finances that was meant to take care of the minor responsibilities bestowed to them. Helen was beautiful which made the king Menelaus avoid punishing her for eloping; Helen was arrogant to the king who could have been brought about by her stay in Egypt where women are accorded the same respect as women. This scene, therefore, depicts the independence of Egyptian women and the submissive character of Greek women.

Women in the Trojan misuse their freedom. Helen was deceitful and immoral which is shown by her unfaithfulness to her husband; Paris had taken Helen. On her return, she was rude to her husband the king of Troy. On many occasions women are seen to be constantly complaining about lacking careers and that their happiness is centred on their husbands.   Married women of Greece were under the complete authority of their husbands and were shown to be intellectually incapable of making crucial decisions on their own (Allan, 36).  Women were expected to be faithful to their husbands, and the reverses were not the case since men were free to engage in the services of courtesans and prostitutes. Women who did not preserve the honor of family were guilty and deserved to be punished and would be banned from practicing in public religious ceremonies. The husband of a wife who is known to have engaged in sexual relations with another man could murder the wife without fear of being prosecuted.  In Egypt however, men were obliged to remain faithful to their women; however, they could marry many wives.

Egyptian women had the mandate to choose who they wanted to marry, although elders aided the association by introducing suitable males and females to each other.  Women could own property from their family through inheritance, if a woman’s marriage ended in divorce, she was obliged to carry her property with her, and she had the freedom to remarry. Women with children were held in high regard in Egypt. In ancient Greece however, women did not have as many rights as their counterpart’s males. They were unable to own land vote or inherit. The fathers of the Greek women had legal control of their female children until their fathers found a suitable partner for them. This is depicted in Helen where her father chose Menelaus for her.

Moreover, Helen could have led as the queen of Sparta; however, his husband was chosen as the king after the passing of King Tyndareus. The husbands of Troy admired their wives for their various roles as mothers. Egyptian women were fortunate as they could have become pharaohs although on special occasions, unlike the Greeks where women were not accorded any critical roles. In Helen's case after the passing of his father the king, Helen could have taken the mantle as she was a descendant of the king and this could have been considered a special case. However, due to their societal orientation, she did not take up the role due to her gender.

In conclusion, women in Euripides's time in Egypt had a larger number of opportunities compared to women in ancient Greece as depicted in Euripides Helen. Unlike Greek women who were consigned to menial positions such as housewives and maids, the Trojan women had important roles that nearly matched those of men.  The ancient Greeks and Egyptians' framework of law and social conventions was in existence side by side in Egypt and worked independently of each other where the women of Trojan were considered equal to men while the women of Troy were viewed as lesser. Greek women are submissive to their husbands, and they have no major control over their husbands apart from taking care of the children and undertaking minor roles that complement their husbands. On the other hand, as depicted by Helen during her stay in Egypt after fleeing, Egyptian women are considered independent and equal to men. The men in the Egyptian setting have high regard for women not just as mothers but also as equals in holding leadership and positions and other significant roles in society.

Works Cited

Allan, William, ed. Euripides:'Helen'. Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Burton, Joan. "Women's commonality in the ancient Greek world." Greece & Rome 45.2 (1998): 143-165.

Pomeroy, Sarah B. Women in Hellenistic Egypt: From Alexander to Cleopatra. Wayne State University Press, 1990.

Wright, Matthew. Euripides' escape-tragedies: a study of Helen, Andromeda, and Iphigenia among the Taurians. Oxford University Press on Demand, 2005.

Zweig, Bella. "Euripides' Helen and female rites of passage." Bucknell Review 43.1 (1999): 158.