Maternal Justice and the Politics of Female Power: A Comparative Study of Medea and Isis in Greek and Egyptian Mythology

This article compares the motherhood and justice in Greek and Egyptian mythology through Medea and Isis. This article believes that these two characters are representation of maternal justice, which is an emotional, personal and female-centered form of justice rooted in the "power of a great mother". However, they practice this kind of justice in the opposite way. Medea is a model of destructive motherhood. Medea, who never have been recognize by the Corinth society apply destructive motherhood to kill her sons, destroy her link to the patriarchy society, and leave the city. Isis, practice the restorative motherhood to assist her son Horus on his fight of restoring the legit Egyptian kingship. Her magical power and identity as a goddess is intertwined in the political system of Egypt. However, both women's maternal nature are not recognized by the civilizations, the patriarchy societies find their own approach to either exile or contain their power.