Writer Oscar Wilde once said, "A mask tells us more than a face." Throughout history, lies and masks have been a means to achieve the goals of women who are limited in their current situations – social, political or economic. Traditionally, women cannot simply vent in moments of angry frustration. The strict ways of behavior of ancient times prohibit them from doing so. Instead, they choose the same method of defense through deception that both animals and humans have used for thousands of years: disguise. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Whether verbal, physical, or emotional, these disguises allow women to proceed with their plans while diverting all suspicion from themselves. Medea hides her evil and murderous intentions behind a shield of tears and emotions like a scorned wife. In the Bible, Judith transforms herself from a widow into a beautiful seductress to behead the Assyrian general Holofernes. But it is not her physical changes that determine her success like the women of the assembly, but rather the lies she invents to enter the enemy camp. and the sweet praise he uses to lure the unsuspecting Holofernes before violently killing him. Praxagora and the women of the Ecclesiazusae literally disguise themselves – as men wearing false beards and thick robes – so that they can bring about a wave of political change, installing women as new leaders and correcting their problematic government in the hope of leading their been in the right direction. Each of these women faces challenges, and each of them takes an unconventional path. They forge their disguises into armor and weave webs of deception to solve their problems and lure their unsuspecting enemies into violent traps of revenge. In Euripides' Medea, the Book of Judith, and Aristophanes' Ecclesiazusae, various strategies of disguise and deception are used in Medea's emotional mask, Judith's twisted words, and Praxagoras' clever physical costume as a means to achieve their goals finals of victory over those who have done them harm. Euripides paints Medea as a complex character in the way she changes roles throughout the tragedy. His behavior is no different than the way a chameleon changes the color of his skin, adapting to his marriage situation as it changes. Her thoughts, her emotions are multifaceted, masks and shields as she decides to take revenge against those who took away her family and her position of nobility as Jason's wife. She was abused and mistreated, her sacrifices to favor her husband were all in vain because the weakness of her character pushes him to marry the princess of Corinth. His reputation for anger and murder is well known among the staff of Creon and Medea, who fear his lashes of fury. "She is a deep thinker, you know, and she will not put up with this kind of abuse. I know her and I am terrified that, by silently entering the house where the bed is placed, she might pierce her heart with a sharp sword or kill the princess and the one who married her and then suffer a greater tragedy. She is fearful. It will not be easy for an enemy to emerge victorious from a battle against her” (Euripides 37-44). so desperately longs to unleash blind anger. Instead, she uses her intelligence, her cold and calculated nature, to build a surprising facade of emotions. She plays the role of the grieving mother perfectly. She usually replaces the anger with tears of sadness. Nothe will eat; she surrenders to the pain, washing all her hours in tears, since she realized that her husband had abandoned her” (Euripides 23-25). His pain touches the heart of the children's nurse who begins to pity his situation rather than assume he will turn to violence. She cries out in a shrill voice for the gods to kill her rather than suffer her fate. “Oh Zeus, Earth and Light, hurl your fiery thunderbolt straight through my skull. What is life for? Aah, aah. Let me die and leave this life that I hate” (Euripides 142-146). Never once does he reveal his secret plot. Medea instead makes pathetic speeches, appealing to the women of Corinth. “I'm adrift. I have lost all pleasure in living and I want to die, my friends. The man who was everything to me, try to understand it, turned out to be the most vile man in the world, my husband. Of all creatures endowed with life and reason, we women are the saddest lot” (Euripides 225-230). Medea reigns in her temper and begs Creon to change his ways, even as she expresses her fear of his retaliation. Become like one of his subjects to gain his favor. He pretends to agree with her choice and understand the justification for marriage. “For some I suffer from envy, for others I am a rival; but I'm not that smart. And then you're afraid of me. What harm can you suffer from me? It is not in my power - do not fear me, Creon - to harm the royal family. What harm have you done to me? You married your daughter to the man you chose for her” (Euripides 302-309). She waves a false white flag of peace, telling him that she has accepted his defeat and has no intention of harming her ex-husband. Creon is the only one who sees through the act he performs. He knows he's making a secret plan and won't go down without a fight. She cries and pleads with him but he continues to refuse her requests. Secretly, his refusals only fuel his revenge. “Do you think I would ever flatter him if not to get something or with some plan in mind? I wouldn't even talk to him or touch his hands. He has arrived at such a state of unconsciousness, that, although he could have destroyed all my plans by forcing me to leave the country, he has allowed me to remain this day, in which I will transform three of my enemies” (Euripides 367-373). Plot behind closed doors “deceitfully and silently proceeds to murder” (Euripides 390). His evil plot of bloodshed and corpses simmers behind his teary-eyed mask, though it can sometimes be difficult to keep the anger from seeping into his words. His disguise is not tangible. He uses his emotions to dispel the suspicion of a surprise attack on the new spouses. She creates confusion by going against her reputation and becoming the traditional wife she really isn't. Everyone expects her to scream and be angry, not shrill with tears falling down her face. His cold and intelligent mind is necessary not only for the brutal murder of his children, but also makes it much easier to wear the different masks of his personality when necessary. She cleverly lies to her husband, lulling him into a false sense of security. “Contemplating these things I realized that I was suffering from a delusion and that my anger was in vain. Now I accept it. It seems to me that you acted logically in proposing this marriage alliance to us, and I was foolish” (Euripides 881-884). His inability to recognize the lies that come out of her mouth leads him to believe her and she uses her position as an ex-wife and their relationship as points of emphasis in her pathos appeal. He makes the mistake of believing that the emotions she is producing are real. Medea's tears, her emotional state, have the same power as the sword she uses to kill her own children. Without theher fake whining pain, she wouldn't be able to carry out the brutal plot. He adapts his behavior to each person he speaks to: he behaves submissively and full of praise in front of Creon. He addresses Jason in a firm but reassuring way, as if to convince him of his acceptance of the new marriage. In front of the important people who have and continue to decide her fate, she presents herself with the sugary smile of the perfect housewife with daggers just out of sight stuck behind her teeth. Her constant changing of words and feelings make her a threat to those who have harmed her and ultimately they all fall into the trap she created with her tears and false offers of peace and understanding. Although his physical appearance never changes throughout his play, he enacts various emotions to mask his keen intelligence and true barbaric nature. Judith, in the Book of Judith in the Bible, arms herself with words. As her fellow Israelites weaken under the strain of the siege placed upon them by General Holofernes and his army, Judith prays with them in the hope of some salvation. His words, his pleas to God are necessary forces to go to Holofernes and save Jerusalem. “With the cunning of my lips bring down the slave with the master, and the master with the servant. Break their pride at the hands of a woman” (Book of Judith. 9. 481-482). When the Israelites face resource depletion, starvation, and the eminent dominance of the Assyrian army, they too rely on words and prayers in the hope of protection and salvation. “All the men of Israel cried out fervently to God and humbled themselves before him. They wrapped the altar itself with sackcloth and united fervently in supplicating the God of Israel not to let their sons be taken away, their wives distributed as spoil, the cities of their inheritance destroyed, the Temple desecrated and desecrated so that the pagans could rejoice. " (Judg. 4. 143-146). Judith, a pious widow who has been mourning her husband for three years, realizes that desperate prayers alone cannot save her people. She is enraged by the faithful, who become frustrated and angry, and scolds them because they believe that asking God for rescue is the right thing to do. “You have put the Lord Almighty to the test. You don't understand anything and you never will days, he has the power to protect us for as many days as he wants, just as he has the power to destroy us before our enemies you have no right to demand guarantees regarding the plans of the Lord our God. Because God must not be threatened as a human being is, nor is he to be cajoled, as a mere human being” (Judges 8. 306-311). He then decides to take matters into his own hands and allow his faith to be tested by Heaven let them their wives should be taken away, their daughters should be taken captive, and their spoils should be divided among the sons you loved, who had been so zealous for you, had detested the stain stained with their blood, and had called upon you for help. O God, my God, now warm this widow too; for you created the past, and what is happening now, and what will follow. What is, what will be, you have planned; what was, you planned” (Jude. 9. 464-468). Judith is described as very beautiful, yet perpetually dressed in mourning clothes. She undergoes a transformation that echoes Praxagora's dramatic change in appearance, exchanging her widow's dress and sackcloth for perfume and jewels. However, she recognizes that looks alone will not get her into Holofernes' tent. He knows that to kill the general it is necessary to be “so beautifulin appearance and so wise in speaking” (Judg. 11,600-601). Judith turns his words into a perfect deception, disguises herself in lies. There is a biting irony in his words as he praises the Assyrian general and wishes him a long life but never once reveals his true intentions: “We have indeed heard of your genius and mental cunning. It is known everywhere in the world that throughout the empire you have no rivals for skill, wealth of experience and ingenuity in warfare" (Judg. 11, 565-567). She disguises herself as the ideal submissive woman for a selfish man like Holofernes, “making herself beautiful enough to deceive the eye of anyone who has seen her” (Judges 10. 501) but with an eloquence and refinement that commands respect. The words she exchanges with Holofernes create the perfect mask to reveal her secret plot, more than her seductive beauty. She dismisses his questions about her lack of supplies with gentle irony. “'Long live your soul, my lord,' replied Judith, 'the Lord will use me to fulfill his plan, before your servant has finished these provisions'” (Judg. 12.573-574). His calm and direct way of addressing the general is as sharp and cold as the curved blade around his neck. Her beauty "takes his soul captive" (Judg. 12.747), after luring him into a false sense of security with her reassuring language. “'Who am I,' replied Judith, 'to resist my lord? I will not hesitate to do whatever he wants, and to do it will be my joy until the day of my death'” (Judg. 12.596-597). His handsome face and sweet words mask his true intentions. It's the perfect defense. As the Assyrian soldiers say: “'Who could despise a people who have women like these?'” (Judg. 10 . 538)? Her willingness to cooperate and provide intelligence to Israel's enemy makes her a desirable asset during the siege. The beauty of her face makes anyone who meets her automatically assume that she is good and innocent, incapable of such a brutal execution. it is the way she weaves her words around the unsuspecting Holofernes, flattering and seducing him, that ultimately leads to her successful beheading of the Assyrian general. Her disguise in the form of lies and manipulation brings her into Holofernes' tent and ensures her success in saving her people from the army that seeks to lead them to destruction. In Aristophanes' satire, The Ecclesiazusae, Praxagoras is a Greek woman who has grown tired of the problematic Athenian government, so she devises a rather unusual plan to correct these problems that had hitherto remained unresolved by men. She, along with the other women of Athens, take on literal disguises rather than the metaphorical ones of Judith and Medea. “When this is done, arrange your beards, and when they are arranged as well as possible, dress yourselves in the cloaks which you have stolen from your husbands; finally begin, leaning on your sticks and singing some old men's songs as the villagers do” (Aristophanes 291-294). Praxagoras, their leader, relies on the stupidity of men to bring about these political changes. He knows that they will be easily fooled and will gladly comply with his proposal simply because it is a solution they have not yet tried to solve the various problems scattered throughout the Athenian government. The new apparition gets her into the assembly and now Paxagora can gather the votes she needs to completely change the Athenian government. His group of followers are committed to maintaining their masks, discarding traditional conventions of beauty and cleanliness for the good of their city. “I began by throwing away my razor, so that I could become quite hairy and no longer resemble a woman” (Aristophanes 61-62). She believes that the women of Athens will do a much better job running the city ofthan men have ever done. His disguise is of great importance to his cause. If her true identity were revealed, she and her companions would be subject to severe punishment. “Let us not forget to give ourselves this name and that that of woman never escapes our lips; woe betide us if it were discovered that we had hatched such a plot in the darkness of the night” (Aristophanes 304-306). While the eloquence of your argument will elicit agreement among the other members of the Assembly, it is imperative that you and others are treated with respect. Their customs give weight to their words. Otherwise Praxagora's speech would be ignored if she appeared before the Assembly in her usual dress. Praxagoras trades her smooth complexion and beauty for political power and a phony, all for the common good. “Let us chase away these men of the city who sat at home and chatted around the table” (Aristophanes 314-315). His cunning disguise proves effective in bringing about the social and political changes he was seeking. He convinces the other men to establish a new system of socioeconomic equality, all led and organized by Athenian women. With the skill of an orator, she convinces the government to put the helm of authority in the hands of the deputies. “Let us therefore hand over Athens to them, without interminable discussions, without worrying about what they will do; we simply hand over the power to them, remembering that they are mothers and will therefore spare the blood of our soldiers; After all, who better than a mother will be able to bring supplies to the front? I leave out a thousand other advantages. Follow my advice and you will live in perfect happiness” (Aristophanes 243-246). Praxagora, in the guise of a man, transforms the traditional submissive role of a Greek woman in a patriarchal society with the same dramatic change in her appearance. Unlike men, Praxagora is skilled at righting the wrongs of the corrupt government. Does not encourage rowdy drinking habits. «This is why their decrees breathe of drunkenness and madness. And why libations, why so many ceremonies, if wine has no role in them” (Aristophanes 153-154)? His focus is on equality and the greater good for the people of Athens who have been unhappy in a useless and corrupt government for too long. and he will do everything he does in his masculine costume to bring the benefits of wealth and success to everyone. Instead of remaining a meek and obedient wife, “she will not be easily deceived; she herself understands the deception too well” (Aristophanes 247-248) in the strength of her disguise and the arguments she brings to the Assembly to bring about a new political order. Medea with her false tears and her sugary praises, Judith with a tongue as sharp as a scimitar she brings into the exposed hollow of Holofernes' throat, Paxagoras with her husband's stolen clothes and her fake beard. Each of these women does not hide behind their husbands' cloak but rather behind the strength of their plots and the sweet masks they wear before hitting those who have behaved unfairly towards them. They devise plans with keen intelligence, whether their ultimate goal is murder or a change in political systems. They don't back down from a challenge or respond with boisterous anger. They maintain their false identities in the lies they tell, the disguises they wear, or the false emotions they project. They move carefully through the forest towards success rather than blasting their way through with reckless anger. Their clever use of disguise and deception demonstrates a determination to succeed, even when the odds of a patriarchal society, the power of noble families, and military might are stacked against them. Prematurely betraying the truth of one's personality or letting it slip away.