Chicago And Medea: Society, Theatre, And The Representation Of Women

Introduction: An Inquiry on Representation in Theatre

Accurate representation in theatrical productions is one of the most popular controversies in Theatre presently; ranging from representations of gender, sexuality, race, age, and religion. As a 21st century theatre practitioner and newly found theatre historian, I am made curious about how various groups of persons are represented and whether the accuracy- or lack thereof -is attributed to more than just a playwright or director’s individual perception. Through the course of reading about and watching various productions, I can draw connections between the Greek play Medea by Euripides, produced in 431 BCE, and Bob Fosse’s 1975 musical adaptation of Chicago.

While Medea and Chicago: The Musical were produced almost 2,500 years apart, they similarly investigate the representation of women on stage. The literary development and staged portrayal of both the title character from Medea and the Merry Murderesses of the Cook County Jail from Chicago showcase the influence of socio-political climate on the representation of women. In this paper, I analyze women’s roles in Greek society in the 4th and 5th Century BCE and its relationship with Euripides’s rendition of the ancient Greek myth of Medea, and the 1970’s women’s liberation movement and its relationship with Bob Fosse’s adaptation of Chicago. The relationship between each production and its historical context shows how their respective sociopolitical and socioeconomic climate during their corresponding eras influenced the depiction of women in each production.

Medea: Overview

Princess Medea, an immigrant from Colchis to Corinth is married to Jason with whom she has two sons. Medea discovers that Jason intends to divorce her to marry the daughter of King Creon of Corinth. Creon informs her that she will be exiled because she potentially may cause his daughter harm. By the following day, she had poisoned both Creon, his daughter, and his daughter’s children in efforts to seek vengeance on Jason. Furthermore, she murders her own children so that she can leave Jason truly alone to suffer.

In Euripides’ rewriting of the myth, he changed a significant aspect of the narrative. George Gellie describes in his book The Character of Medea that there are various accounts of the death of Medea’s children in the archives of the original myth, “in all of which, Medea was innocent”. (Gellie 18) Some accounts attribute their death to Corinthians responding to Medea’s slaying of their king while others describe it as an accident in which Medea’s intentions were never meant to murder them. Euripides’s decision to adapt the ending portrays Medea as not only vengeful but as heartless and evil, as well.

Medea: A Historical Analysis

The sociopolitical climate of the time influenced the portrayal of women in theatre. Euripides was exposed to war for the entirety of his lifetime; first the Greco-Persian Wars from 492 to 449 BCE, and then the Peloponnesian War from 432 to 405 BCE. “Women in Greek drama often appear to stage a crisis in how the state imagines and justifies itself.” (Worthen 18) With this in mind, parallels can be drawn from Medea’s character with the societal role of women and the state of political affairs in Greece at the time.

Since women in theatre represented the wrongdoings of the state, the evidence of Athens’ role in the Peloponnesian War suggests that Medea’s character is analogous to it. Medea’s aggressive and vengeful nature is comparable with Athens’ ruthlessness in the refusal to let Sparta remain an independent dictatorial city-state after their collective victory in the Persian War. A well-remembered quote from Thucydides’ account of the Peloponnesian War is “The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.” (Thucydides) This bears resemblance to Medea’s quote “I can speak ill of you and lighten my heart, and you will suffer while you are listening.” (Worthen 102, line 461) According to Thucydides account, Athens slayed multiple city states in 432 BCE including Corinth, when they refused to take part in the war against Sparta. (Thucydides) This commentary on Athens’ brutality at the start of the Peloponnesian War is analogous to Medea’s murderous desire for vengeance.

The portrayal of women in theatre is also a reflection of their socioeconomic status. Ancient Greek women, specifically women in Athens, were in low standing “legally, socially, and in general estimation” as described by A. W. Gomme in volume 20 of Classical Philology. (Gomme 2) In Professor Hoxworth’s World Theatre History lecture, it was emphasized that women’s rights were limited in ancient Greece; they couldn’t participate in politics, conduct economic transactions, and whether they attended the theatre or not is often debated. What is known for certain, is that women’s roles were portrayed by men. (Hoxworth)

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In Athenian drama, female caricatures were often exaggerated and perverted through the male actors’ performance. “Drama, then, participated fully in Athens’ denial of equality to women.” Sue-Ellen Case’s analysis on the accuracy of the portrayal of women in Athenian theatre highlights the dichotomy between socioeconomics and what she describes as the “Woman”: the idealized theatrical role that is representative of the patriarchal perspective of women and their socioeconomic status. Since roles for women were written and performed by men, they would be influenced by Athenian’s patriarchal society. (Worthen 17, 165) Euripides’ Medea can be interpreted as a patriarchal cautionary tale. Medea’s character is depicted as outspoken, bold, and clever; all of which is against what Greek society deems as appropriate. Euripides’ decision to portray her as heartless, filicidal, and manipulative demonizes any woman in Greek society that may feel angry and betrayed in order to keep them inferior.

Chicago: Overview

Roxie Hart, a wanna-be celebrity, is having an affair with a man named Fred who she shoots and kills for insulting her talent. She is sent to the Cook County Jail while she awaits her trial where she meets Mama, the prison guard, and the Merry Murderesses of the Cook County Jail. The Merry Murderesses, one of which is Roxie’s celebrity idol: Velma, are a group of women in jail for murdering their lovers. The course of the musical follows Roxie’s desperate attempts to steal Billy Flynn, the notoriously sleazy lawyer, from Velma. Billy Flynn shows Roxie how to use her sexual appeal and newfound stardom to win her trial. The musical concludes with both Velma and Roxie set free and using their notoriety to fuel their fame and tour together.

Chicago: The Musical is one of the many adaptations of the original straight play of the same name by Maurine Watkins. There are significant differences between Bob Fosse’s version and the adaptations preceding it; specifically, when comparing it to the 1927 silent film of the same name. Contrary to the 1975 musical, Amos, Roxie’s husband, is significantly less pitiful. He is portrayed as dominant in the relationship; having Roxie call him Daddy, having violent outburst, and using her sexuality as reason for leaving her. (시네마빅풋) Rather than the narrative ending victoriously for Roxie like in the musical, the film instead chose to isolate Roxie from both love and stardom.

Chicago: Historical Analysis

The 1970’s socioeconomic influence on Chicago: The Musical is evident in the differences between it and the preceding adaptations’ character development, and lyrical additions. The representation of women as independent of and equal to men in Chicago is influenced by the changes in women’s roles in society at the time. Pre-1970’s, divorce and premarital/casual sex were unacceptable. But with the rise of 1970’s women’s liberation movement, that stigma was broken down. “The social stigma associated with divorce clearly has diminished, and this had contributed to a decline in legal barriers to divorce. The rise of individualism associated with urbanization and industrialization has meant increasing emphasis on self-fulfillment and growing intolerance of unsuccessful marriages.” (Ruggles 455) This influence is embodied in Roxie’s relationship with Amos. Like the feminists of the 1970’s, Roxie made the decision to leave her unhappy marriage in pursuit of here career as a performer rather than being meek and in need of Amos as was depicted in the 1927 film.

Feministic sentiments are also exemplified in the musical number Cell Block Tango and the closing number Nowadays. In the former number, the six Merry Murderesses, empowered by their sexy lingerie and crisp choreography, describe how they murdered their lovers and showcase their refusal to submit to guilt evident in the notorious lyrics “He had it coming. He had it coming. He only had himself to blame. If you had been there, if you had seen it, I bet you would have done the same.” While the extremities of their actions in real life are deplorable, what they are symbolic of is significant. The idea of independence and strong women figures is exemplified in the murderess’s indignant personalities and their willingness to step up to the injustice their lovers committed.

In the latter number, the 1970’s feminist attitude towards women sexual liberty and independence is reinforced when it is revealed that Roxie and Velma have reached their goals of stardom. In their final musical performance, they sing “You can like the life you’re living, you can live the life you like. You can even marry Harry but mess around with Ike. […] In fifty years or so, it’s gonna change, you know.” This shows stark contrast of the representation of women’s sexuality; in the film Roxie is shamed for her sexuality, whereas in the musical it is celebrated. The musical closes with Velma and Roxie thanking the audience for their faith in their innocence and reminds them that they are a “living example of what a wonderful country this is.” (Ebb et al. 18, 89, 90) While the narrative suggests the country is wonderful because it’s forgiving, the historical context beyond the text shows that the country they are referring to is the one with newfound women’s equality and sexual liberation.

Conclusion: A Reflection on the Evolution of Representation

It is evident in the analysis of Euripides’ Medea and Fosses’ 1975 adaptation of Chicago that there is a timeless relationship between women’s representation on stage and the sociopolitical/economic climate in which they are represented. The portrayal of women in theatre can only get more accurate as time progresses and as women play or more active role in the writing, producing, and performing of drama. Putting into perspective the changing perception of women in theatre from the 5th century to the modern age helps bring awareness to the effect society has on the art we leave behind. Looking back on theatre from the time of Euripides’ and comparing it to theatre now shows us how far we have come. As our society evolves, theatre evolves with us; there is a dignified sense of responsibility in knowing that we theatre-makers are responsible for that evolution and by extension are makers of history.

Work Cited

1. Ebb, Fred, Bob Fosse, John Kander, and Maurine Watkins. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville. New York: French, 1976. Print.
2. Gellie, George. “The Character of Medea.” Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, no. 35, 1988, pp. 15–22. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43646205.
3. Gomme, A. W. “The Position of Women in Athens in the Fifth and Fourth Centuries.” Classical Philology, vol. 20, no. 1, 1925, pp. 1–25. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/262574.
4. Hoxworth, K. 'The Poetics of Greek Tragedy.' THE3213, 3rd & 5th Sep. 2019, Florida State University. Lecture.
5. Ruggles, Stephen. “The Rise of Divorce and Separation in the US 1880-1990.” Demography, volume 34, issue 4 (1997): 455-466.
6. Thucydides. “The History of the Peloponnesian War.” United States, Edward Earle, 1818.
7. Worthen, W. B. 'The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama, 6th edn (Berkeley, CA.' (2011).
8. 시네마빅풋. “Chicago 1927 Original Version Full Movie.” Youtube, 25 Feb 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkuKjsSf_M8.