The Influence of Euripides on Art
Euripides’ career was unique from the other two greats in Athenian tragic poetry. Not only that he garnered fewer awards than Sophocles and Aeschylus, but he was also the punching bag of jokes by comic poets like Aristophanes. That does not mean his art is less impactful than the other two greats.
Euripides’ art was unique because they pioneered innovations in tragedies, such as presenting heroes as typical people, showing sympathy for the oppressed, and presenting female characters differently than other stories at the time.
That influenced stories to this day. Many contemporary stories depict heroes with humble beginnings, empowerment of the weak, and even women holding vital roles in stories. His works also influenced how writers created comedy and even romance to an extent.
These aspects of his works would influence others and contribute to the rise of the popularity of Euripides’ work. Sophocles‘s and Aeschylus’s work steadily declined in popularity after the peak of Athenian times.
His works also influenced how writers created comedy and even romance to an extent.
Medea
Euripides’ works became as innovative as they were because they challenged tradition. Plays like “Medea” are prime examples of this. “Medea” is a play by Euripides that received mixed receptions at its time due to its intense content.
In the story, Medea, the main character, commits heinous crimes to get revenge against her husband, Jason, who is unfaithful. That revenge would include killing two of her children and Jason’s new wife.
That is where Euripides’s sympathy for women shows. Presented through her actions, Medea conveys her refusal to withstand disrespect from a man. Her barbaric mannerisms and controversial statements served as evidence of her convictions.
In ancient Athens, women were not treated equally in society, so it was unorthodox to create a story like this.
I would rather stand three times with a shield in battle than give birth once. - Medea.
Though Medea was a very influential work, there was pushback from artists and intellectuals such as Aristophanes and Plato.
Euripides and His Skepticism of Greek gods
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