Discuss the significance of a pivotal moment, shift or turning point in at least two of the works you have studied.
When drawing upon components of both The Handmaid’s Tale and Medea, it is quite clear that some themes do cross over and there are many similarities between the two works. With regards to pivotal moments, shifts or turning points, both texts are different although it is still possible to draw upon connections.
For example, within Medea, one of the critical moments of the play is when Medea has her argument with Jason. This really allows for the audience to not only be exposed to the intensity of the situation but also get a firsthand glimpse at both sides of the argument. When comparing Medea to The Handmaid’s Tale, it is important to consider how the intended audience of Medea ready knew the plot of the play so the actual sequence of events came as less of a surprise. This meant that Euripedes did his best to dramatise what was a classic Greek tragedy. During this argument, it allowed the audience to potentially side with Medea and sympathise with her, ultimately understanding why she feels the way she does. Similarly, in The Handmaids Tale, towards the end of the story, we experience the “historical notes”. At this point in the book, the audience has more or less fully understood everything about Gilead and what it was like to be there. So much so that they may have even less of an understanding of the real world. Atwood immediately puts this into context by providing a section of the book whereby a lecturer is looking back on past tapes of The Handmaid’s Tale ultimately making it all sound even more ridiculous. Both situations are critical points in both works and do a good job at providing more context to the audience in order for the author to get their point across.
It is quite clear as well, that in The Handmaid’s Tale, a key point is the ceremony. During the ceremony, Offred is seen under the light of her one and true purpose. To reproduce babies – nothing more. It is a very strange situation for everyone involved and I think is done so in such a way that Atwood makes us feel as uncomfortable as possible. In Medea, a key point is when Medea kills her children. Although this is done offstage, it is a very key point in the play – the climax. At this point, we experience a real conversation between her and Jason. It feels like in this situation, Medea and Jason are arguing on a level playing field. In some sense, Medea has a heightened level of power after what shes has done. In The Handmaid’s Tale, to some extent, Offred has a slight bit of power as without her and the rest of the Handmaids, the society would not be able to reproduce. Therefore, in both situations, the protagonists experience heightened levels of power (although they may not realise it).
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