Women in Greek Theatre

For background detail on Greek theatre productions at the National Theatre, see our online exhibit: www.google.com/culturalinstit...
This film explores the role of women in Ancient Greek society and the representation of female identity in Antigone, Women of Troy and Medea.
Dr Lucy Jackson, Teaching Fellow at King's College London & Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH) looks back over these recent Greek productions at the National Theatre, featuring Helen McCrory and Jodie Whittaker.
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[@harrystocker3085]

Rest in peace Helen McCrory, a very talented and insightful woman

[@brianday8771]

Here cuz of class

[@josuecallejero9864]

Thank you for this great content! I'm an English and theater teacher, and your videos are exceptionally helpful for my students.

[@isabellasoares7041]

Wow. Brilliant video!

[@giotak.806]

Excellent approach

[@nicholasmartinez6410]

Can we get some plays going at the UC berkeley greek theatre? Like the play about the greek that created man?

[@jetsharp4823]

if your in my class and see this hello

[@CineShinya]

Actually, the Athenian patriarchy is something that depends on the era. In the beginning Athens were actually the exact opposite. In mythology the change came because of Poseidon's rage after Athena was picked as the Protector Goddess of the City-State. In theatre we see the change coming in Aeschylus play "Ευμενίδες", final part of "Ορέστεια". It's been said that the overpraising of the new law and the understating of women's value in the play was actually sarcastic against the new laws, that wanted women locked in the house and so on.

[@subarnaroy3895]

Titus Maccius Plautus also was inspired and influenced by the Greek theatre and Greek style of writing comedies! And indeed we find the same thing as in one of his works 'Pot of Gold ' where three women are referred but we can find power or influence in only 2 characters who are middle aged or old. But the third one does not have the same power as other characters! Also in Greek theatre the women rarely get the main role!

[@masonclark2737]

Adam Knowles likes men

[@titanfucker420]

hello

[@RUbiesUnivers]

I hate my class

[@mariacontos2715]

ΝΟ! Ancient Athens was NOT misogynist. In the audience, women and children could also watch the plays we see that from ancient Greek writings, such as Pratinas and Proclus. Many women studied in Plato's academy, such as Diotima and Ipatia. Aspasia, had active part in politics. Plato in his work 'the republic' says that women should have equal rights as men and should take part in all decisions. Something that has been mistranslated by non Greeks. It is such a shame people who do not speak ancient Greek have translated the ancient texts and have given wrong interpretations which have been spread round the world, giving completely wrong impression.

[@mustwing7140]

anyone from usyd🙃

[@danielsogge136]

You lot lack the perspective of the private versus the political. The private was the domain of the woman, while the political (polis) was of the man. This is quite explicit.

[@ignotumperignotius630]

honestly, this is just such a weird comparison: to claim that women then had relatively little power. They had power in womanly ways and they had none outside of it, likewise for men with manly ways. Everyone, just as today, had a different sphere of influence.

[@romainvicta3076]

totally, patriarchal societies are not bad - Take a family - Families are healthy when there is a strong father. The same with a society

[@valariediane6490]

I'm really not sure what you mean by womanly powers, but in most Ancient Greece city-states (especially Athens), women very much suffered under the patriarchal society. Girls were so afraid of being married off that they'd commit suicide. They were kept uneducated and had zero independence unless they were prostitutes or priestesses. So they did have relatively little power.

[@phoebeel]

So women had the power to decide what's for dinner and how to decorate the house. Wow. Amazing. Would love to have those worries compared to having to decide on what to do with my own life. I hope you can read the sarcasm between the lines