Exploring the Nature of Elite and Non-Elite Conflicts in Euripides’ Medea

Euripides frames the character of his tragedy in the light of reality and contemporary history. In his play, he depicts the nature of the aristocratic and unorthodox conflicts of Athens at the time. Euripides tries to portray social reality with great skill in his plays; Medea is a real example of this. Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy that portrays a woman who goes beyond the traditional role of a woman in ancient Greek society, so far as to kill her children and her husband’s new wife—to revenge his betrayal. A contrast between mythology and Euripides’ philosophy of life is found in his plays. In Medea, he combines mythology with contemporary Athens’ judicial system, family situation, socio-political situation, and prevailing values. In his plays the nature of the aristocratic and non-aristocratic conflicts of the time is illustrated with his own beliefs and justifications. In this research article we will explore the ways in which Euripides prioritizes contemporary philosophy and problems in the reshaping of mythological traditions in the context of his era. We will examine how Medea became a symbol of the oppressed woman—portraying the concerns of any woman of the epoch. We propose a reading for this Ancient Greek tragedy, which widely influenced world literature and the arts, within the lens of the humanities. The main goals and Objectives of this Research article is to explore how the characters in Medea face socio-economic discrimination and fall victim to social divisions. In the context of Medea we will discuss how Euripides explored the nature of elite and non-elite conflicts in his plays. This research work will follow qualitative analysis methods. The research article will be written in a descriptive and comparative manner using primary sources. Here, along with the analysis method, the case study method will also be applied. An interdisciplinary analysis approach will be followed with qualitative methods. Researcher’s own interpretations, observations and perspectives will be presented. The APA approach for data guidance and reference will be followed when presenting this research work. Through this paper, the researcher will be involved in the study of dramas of this genre, as well as this article can add new ideas to the theory of drama. This article may be able to generate new themes and observations in theatrical research.