Introduction
Ancient Greece is known for its many traditions and norms that have been preserved for millennia, emphasizing the values of family, dignity, and integrity. However, Ancient Greece is additionally known for its literature and well-known plays that carry powerful messages and illuminate themes that are often debated even in modern times. Among such plays are Medea by Euripides and Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. In these plays, the major theme is personal struggles and pay. However, the audience additionally sees the role children play in both works. While being seen as the victims of the situation, the children in the play Medea and Oedipus Rex serve as symbols of despair and revenge while also being used as a tool to build tension through dramatic irony.
Dramatic Irony as a Tool to Build Tension
The first literary device that is used in both plays is dramatic irony. In Oedipus Rex, dramatic irony is evident throughout the entire play. It is especially evident in the fact that the audience knows about Oedipus’ birth and prophecy before the protagonist does. When talking to the messenger who makes revelations to the man, the readers observe how Oedipus learns that he was saved by “a shepherd, just a hired servant roaming here and there” (Sophocles 1226). In the play, Oedipus learns that his father, Laius, wants the child dead after learning that he will kill the father and marry his mother (Sophocles 1226). Therefore, Sophocles uses this technique to raise anxiety and suspense before the pivotal scene in which Oedipus discovers the truth.
Similarly, dramatic irony is used in the play of Medea as well, which is evident throughout the work. The tension grows when the audience sees how the actions develop and that other characters are clueless as to what Medea is planning to do with her children. As the woman admits, “I will slay my own children” (Euripides 790). After learning about her husband’s betrayal, the heroine desires to punish him by killing their sons, creating dread as the audience waits for the inevitable tragedy to unfold. Medea then emphasizes, “I did wrong, the day I left my father’s home, persuaded by the words of a man of Hellas!” (Euripides 800). This monologue highlights the role of a woman in Ancient Greece.
Men could remarry and even have children with other women (Speake 605). Moreover, it is evident that, most often, fathers make decisions as to whom their daughters will marry. Medea even stresses the fact that her sons were “the children that [she] bore him,” which makes motherhood even look like an obligation (Euripides 805). Consequently, children in both plays help establish dramatic irony and tension.
Children as Symbols of Despair and Revenge
Furthermore, the plays utilize symbolism in the image of children. For example, Oedipus Rex uses children as a symbol of despair. As was shown in the dialogue with the messenger, Oedipus kills his father, marries his mother, and has children with her, with the revelation leading to “dark horror wrapped around [him]” (Sophocles 1226). Through such a reaction of Oedipus and the overall play, the audience can see the importance of family in Ancient Greece, where preserving family honor and social status was essential. Meanwhile, learning that he will ruin the family’s honor by having children with his own mother illustrates the despair.
In contrast, in the play Medea, children symbolize revenge and betrayal. As mentioned by McClure, the lives of “girls and women largely revolved around the family and household,” and children were mainly the property of men (176). This is why when Medea learns about Jason’s betrayal, among her choices to take revenge is to take the lives of their children. With Medea having little power as a woman in Ancient Greece, she says that “there is no other way” (Euripides 805). In this situation, Medea’s actions challenge these societal norms, making her a complex and controversial figure. Overall, the author uses cultural norms and expectations in order to highlight the themes of gender and power.
Conclusion
In both Medea and Oedipus Rex, children symbolize despair and vengeance while also serving as a tool to intensify tension through dramatic irony despite being the victims of the situation. Dramatic irony is the first literary device that both plays employ. In order to build tension and suspense before the crucial scene where Oedipus learns the truth, Sophocles employs dramatic irony.
The suspense in Medea increases as the viewer observes how the events unfold and the fact that other characters are unaware of what Medea is preparing to do with her children. The plays also make use of children’s imagery as symbolism. Children, for instance, serve as a metaphor for hopelessness in Oedipus Rex.
The desperation is shown by learning that by having children with his own mother, he will destroy the family’s honor. Children, on the other hand, represent retaliation and treachery in the story of Medea. Due to her defiance of conventional expectations, Medea is a complicated and divisive character.
Works Cited
Euripides. Medea. The Center for Hellenic Studies. 2020. Web.
McClure, Laura. Women in Classical Antiquity: From Birth to Death. Wiley, 2019.
Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Saint Louis Public Schools, 2004. Web.
Speake, Graham. Encyclopedia of Greece and the Hellenic Tradition. Taylor & Francis, 2021.