Recalling Medusa from my childhood I remember her being portrayed as a deviant, usually seductive monster with snakes for hair that turned her prey into stone if they dare look her in the eyes. However, if you recall the classical story of Medusa and looking through all the representations of her through art you can see the grotesque treatment of this woman.
As told in Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Medusa was described as being very beautiful with many suitors however she chose to devote her life to becoming a priestess to the temple of Athena because of her love and admiration for the goddess of war. Medusa’s downfall comes when Poseidon, the god of the sea becomes enamored with Medusa’s beauty and decides to rape the priestess in the sacred temple of Athena. As this is a clear desecration of her temple, Athena in her rage chooses to punish Medusa by transforming her hair into serpents and cursed her so that anyone who shall look into her eyes will be petrified into stone for eternity. This meant her life was now to be lived in isolation until her eventual fate of decapitation by Perseus. No repercussions come to Poseidon for his actions. Much like how many shift the blame onto the victim rather than the aggressor in today’s rape culture.
It’s important to remember that in Roman times women were subordinates of their husbands or fathers. Their expected role in society was to stroke the egos of their husbands. To honor men and produce and raise children with the same ideals as their male masters. Because of these limited duties virginity was extremely important to women.
Virginity is a social construct that places a women’s entire worth on her sexual 'purity'. When a woman is raped not only has the man traumatized the woman with the violence and terror of the act he effectively destroys the social worth of her life.
Ed Harris, a classical studies professor at Brooklyn College explains ‘after being the victim of sexual violence, the young woman lost her virginity and became damaged goods, thus less likely to attract a suitable match. In fact, many victims were forced into marrying the rapist, lest she become useless to her family especially her brothers or father, who were considered the burdened ones in classical times.’
Medusa was punished for no longer being pure in the eyes of her goddess and was further demoralized to become the dangerous and deviant force that is portrayed through the patriarchal lens. She deserves no love or respect for becoming 'damaged goods' just as women labeled as sluts or whores today often receive no sympathy when they report sexual violence. Rape becomes the ultimate dominance and control over a woman.
A favorite depiction of Medusa for many artists is the moment at which Perseus decapitates her and then holds it up proudly. Shown in Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa, produced between 1545–1554. Notice how he included the mangled naked body of Medusa underneath him as he stares down in victory. This statue invokes strength and pride from the viewer as Perseus holds up her head.
A similar statue was sculpted by artist Antonio Canova between 1804-06 in Venice, Italy. Notice the depiction of Medusa. Her facial expression is of despair rather than terror as we would expect from a 'monster'.
My favorite representation of Medusa is that of a strong black woman. The name gorgon is Greek and is derived from 'gorgos' which translates as dreadful. The snakes resemble the dreads or locs that a black woman might wear. Locs have been traced back to ancient Egyptian women and are commonly a symbol of power and strength. Synonymously, Medusa’s treatment resembles the vilification of black women also known as the 'angry black women trope'. This stereotype is commonly deployed to women of color who voice their concerns about their conditions of life as a woman. These women are typically called 'mad', 'angry', or even 'crazy' as a way to spin their defense as ill-mannered, unwarranted anger and inappropriate. It’s a tactic used to take the attention away from the problem the woman is bringing forward and instead places focus on how the woman is reacting to the problem.
This was seen most recently in the nomination of our new Vice President Kamala Harris. Former President Trump described Kamala Harris as a 'mad woman' and 'very angry'. This stereotype draws a parallel in the myth of Medusa as male artists throughout history have viewed Medusa as the monster or villain in the myth and Perseus and Athena the heroes who provide safety and protection.
The moral of the myth being if you are a woman you should not draw attention to yourself to excite a male viewer as he might rape you, therefore, marking you as 'damaged goods' and therefore useless to society. Medusa’s curse to petrify men if they dare to look at her is a warning of female beauty, erotic desire, and the dangers of femininity. It teaches men and women that rape is not the fault of the aggressor but rather the fault of the seductress. If a woman objects to this narrative well then she’s ill-tempered and irrationally angry. She should be silenced just like Medusa.
Now when I look at Medusa I see the real monster of her legacy, our society’s acceptance of female cruelty, and our submission to patriarchal ideals of socially constructed honor and twisted virtue.
Sources/ Other Resources:
https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/medusa-turn-patriarchy-into-stone
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a28368604/miley-cyrus-virginity-social-construct/
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html
https://hyperallergic.com/432102/dangerous-beauty-medusa-in-classical-art-metropolitan-museum/
Podcast: Stuff to Blow Your Mind - Head of Medusa Part 1&2