The turning point I will focus on for THT is when the Commander and Offred started spending time together playing scrabble, which shows an emotional side to the commander someone in power that wasn’t seen before, also shows a shift in mindset to empowering women as Offred is given a new experience that didn’t exist before. In Medea, my turning point is in the duologue between Creon and Medea, where Medea quickly uses Creon’s emotional connection to his daughter to manipulate him into giving her another day in Corinth.
In both of these turning points, there is a new emotional side shown and utilised that wasn’t prior shown from people in power. Generally, people in power are supposed to stay strong and focused on their goal. Creon was supposed to do everything in his power to keep Corinth, but mainly her own daughter safe. However, Medea was able to manipulate Creon’s love for his daughter to eventually lead to the doom of Creon and his daughter. It brings up the theme of family from a few different perspectives as Creon is giving Medea a day because of the care for his own child, however, Medea uses that parenthood to get revenge on her family being destroyed by Jason leaving. In THT the scene where Offred and the commander spend time together shows emotional care from the commander which also, isn’t normally shown as they are in power. However, unlike Medea Offred isn’t being manipulative, really this more like Offred is learning and getting to experience something that was literally impossible for women especially the Handmaids in Gilead.
Both these scenes also show a more balanced level of the hierarchy, where back in older times women were seen as weaker and not being able to do anything. However, Medea is very intelligent as very quickly she comes up with a plan to get revenge at that moment. Normally, according to societal assumptions women are not independent and dependant. She was quickly able to identify Creon’s weakness and capitalise on it. It shows how really Medea, should be seen as higher than Creon, even though in the Hierarchy Creon is the ultimate leader. Shows how women are smart and empowered if they are given the opportunity to. However, THT empowers women differently. By letting Offred play scrabble which was not allowed for women she is getting an opportunity to learn, and get opportunities that weren’t possible before. The fact that the commander someone is power who is supposed to be higher than Offred because she is a woman and a handmaid, but in this situation the Commander and Offred are equals as they are both playing the same game, and having a conversation as equals.
