Beth Freeman

Special Issue Journal Assignment

WGST 114

Feb. 12, 2002

I am Woman Hear Me Roar: Modes of Power for Women

Life or Power? The Inheritance of Power Through Death.

Is it feasible that through the loss of one’s life and being, one would be able to gain influence and power? Does this fatal gain of power show a previous lack of it? Does forgoing one’s life for an honorable cause improve a woman’s reputation in turn giving her more power? Through our studies, we have discovered that typically women exhibit a limited amount of agency in ancient Greece. Women occasionally assert dominance in the household; although, even within the home they posses limited influence over their husbands. An interesting theme runs though Euripides theatrical tragedies Alcestis and Hippolytus. In each play the lead female character forgoes her life for the sake of love. In Alcestis, Alcestis willingly gives her life to prevent her husband Admentus' death. In Hipplytus, Phaedra chooses to commits suicide as a result of falling in love with her husband’s son and refusing to be deceitful to her husband. Consequently, is self-professed death a venue for the women to assert authority and gain status and agency? How do their reputations and the reputations of their households affect this increase of power? In ancient Greece, women, through sacrifice of their lives, uphold and improve their reputation through which they increase their influence and power in society, yet although they are praised by society because of these valiant deeds, they are unable to actively reap the benefits of this powerful reputation.

Numerous sources including Euripides’ tragedies show that reputations are held with the highest regard in ancient Greece. It is through people's perceptions that one is judged; therefore, reputation should be upheld at the greatest of costs. Laws of Greek society allow for a man to take revenge into his own hands when his reputation has been challenged. (The Murder of Herodes) A man also takes great care when choosing a wife because her actions assist in establishing his reputation. (Oeconomicus) Therefore, it is with great regard that men and women uphold the public's opinion of them. Furthermore, the women of Euripides’ tragedies are expected to withhold both their individual reputation and the reputation of the household. The importance of withholding one's reputation is stated in each of these tragedies. Admentus shows the importance when in Alcestis he says, “What have I gained by living, friends, when reputation, life and action are all bad" (960). Phaedra reemphasizes the importance of reputation in her speech, “It would always be my choice to have my virtues known and honored. So when I do wrong I could not endure to see a circle of condemning witnesses" (402-404). Consequently, reputation is a highly influential factor in society and it is desirable to uphold one’s reputation.

In the eye of a condemning society, Alcestis improves her reputation through the valiant way she gives her own life for her husband. She courageously does what none of his family members, even his elderly father would do, willingly gives up her life for her husband, for “not one, except his wife, would consent to die for him, and not see daylight any more" (17). This act showed loyalty, dedication, and love, all desirable feminine characteristics. At her death bed Alcestis shows how her reputation will improve pending her noble death: “And you, my husband, can boast the bride you took made you the bravest wife, and you, children, can say, too, that your mother was brave" (323). This boasting by her family spreads the word of her praiseworthy death and raises her name and the public's opinion about her. Admentus also honors her by saying, “I say people ought to marry women like this. Otherwise, better not to marry at all" (627). Pending her action, she will be known as an ideal and desirable woman. Others outside of the family receive word of her deeds and also praise her name. The maid raves about her exceptional behavior:

“Noblest? Of course the noblest, who will argue that? What shall the wife be who surpasses her? And how could any woman show that she loves her husband more than herself better than consent to die for him? But all the city know that well. You shall be told now how she acted in the house and be amazed to hear.” (152-156)

As word of Alcestis’ brave and noteworthy deed continues to spread, her reputation will continue to blossom.

Phaedra, on the other hand, actively took her own life to avoid betrayal of her husband, preserving her reputation and high moral standards. This too is a reputation enhancer because it shows her desire to remain a pious, trusting, and respectable wife. “This then, my friends, is my destruction: I cannot bear that I should be discovered a traitor to my husband and my children" (418-421). She takes her own life in order to avoid blemishing her reputation and the perception of her household, and states, “for I seek to win good out of shame" (331). She is caught up in the trap of loving the son of her husband and fears that her love will be found out. Her intentions were that she commit suicide prior to any outside knowledge of her desire of Hippolytus, for “it is better then that I should die and know no more of anything" (248). After she divulges her secret love to the nurse, the chorus echoes her probable fate: “You are dead, you yourself have dragged your ruin to the light" (367-368). Consequently, Phaedra through death escapes shame by not allowing herself to become disloyal and taint her reputation, an admirable quality in ancient Greece. Phaedra then inflicts her own death, vainly attempting to prevent knowledge of her fated love from reaching her husband. Her intentions throughout the play are to conceal her feelings and protect her and her family's reputation.

These women have taken their own death, and in doing so they have inherited a desirable reputation and through this reputation gained power. Reputation and power coincided in ancient Greece. It was a symbol of social status and a means by which people were judged. Phaedra and Alcestis gained power in society and in their household through reputation because they were under good standing and therefore demanded respect. Alcestis also gained power because word of her heroic deed will continue long after her death. In Alcestis' tragedy, the chorus proclaims is it:

“The monument of your wife must not be counted among the graves of the dead, but it must be given its honors as gods are, worship of wayfarers. And as they turn the bend of the road and see it, men shall say: “She died for the sake of her husband. Now she is a blessed spirit. Hail, majesty, be gracious to us.” Thus men will speak in her presence.” (994-1005)

Also, each of their husbands responded in a specific way to their death, and each was consequently in support of their wife because of their positive reputation. Admetus was indebted to Alcestis because she saved his life. Theseus shunned his own son as a repercussion for Phaedra’s suicide. It is likely that if these women possessed damaged reputations, the actions of their husbands would have varied greatly, and would not have contributed to an increase in their power and influence. This also shows how a woman's reputation can influence and even possibly change the opinions of her husband, thus reputation gives her power over him. The amassing of their desirable reputations affects the actions of their husband and Greek society, as they changed people’s opinions and actions.

Although, these women gained power through improving their reputation, the idea of gaining power through death is a difficult one for me to fathom. These women will not be around to reap the benefits of their reputable actions. I believe that life is the greatest gift one will ever be given, and these women, although they gain power, lose the great gift of life. I agree with Phaedra’s nurse when she pronounces, “‘The deed’ is better if it saves your life: then your ‘good name’ in which you die exulting" (502). These women’s memory is strengthened through their death, but they have no way of using it as influence. The idea of gaining power through death also implies that they had little power to begin with, for if one has a strong influence in ones life they would not become desperate and take their own death. However, ancient Greece had a shame-based society, which supported these women's actions, for in Greece reputation was valued over life. These women were honored in their society because it supported the giving of one's life for a cause. Death was a formidable way for women to gain powe.r It can be determined that women gain significant power through their deaths, but that this power is consequently not an asset for them but an asset for their memory.

Through Euripides’ tragedies, we can determine that women gained power by improving their reputation through valiant acts of death. Reputation was of great value in Greek society and with an established positive reputation, one inherited greater power. Alcestis establishes a reputation that will be exalted long after her death. Phaedra preserves her reputation and altered her husband’s behavior through her suicide. Yet, there was a trade off: each woman acquired a greater amount of power, yet lost her life in the process. However, because Greek society praised honorable death, this was an appropriate societal action and a proper way for the women to acquire power. Women did assert power in choosing to take their own lives and improve their reputations.

Small summary:

Greek tragedies show that women, through sacrifice of their lives, uphold and improve their reputation through which they increase their influence and power in society. Yet, there was a trade off: each woman acquired a greater amount of power, yet lost her life in the process. However, because Greek society praised honorable death, this was an appropriate societal action and a proper way that women acquired power.