Demonizing Woman: The Myth of Medusa and Its Depiction on Works of Art

Authors : Tuba Meltem Pekol, Gillian Alban

Pages : 103-109

Doi:10.26650/iukad.2023.1315621

View : 512 | Download : 1045

Publication Date : 2023-11-29

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :This compilation article interprets how the Myth of Medusa, which has ancient roots and which portrays a creature that turns those who look directly into her eyes into stone, has inspired various fields of art since ancient times, and how it is handled in different works of art, stories and images. Within the content of the compilation, this article claims that while the Medusa myth is interpreted in terms of gender inequality, social judgement and female identity, it is reflected in works of art as an indicator based on the prejudiced preferences of a patriarchal society. The main purpose of this article is to present the narratives of Medusa , who is often seen only as a symbol of evil, danger, or a simple object that men can have, and to show how the manifestation of these narratives indicates this in works of art. This article incorporates the following texts and graphics: the book of Metamorphoses, Ovid’s epic poem, Hesiod’s Theogony, Judgement of Paris Myth, the Epic poem The Iliad by Homer, the Statue of Perseus with the head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini, the book of "Paragone Delle Arti” by Leonardo Da Vinci, Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio Shield, the logo of Versace brand, the poem Aspecta Medusa by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Holding Our Own: The Selected Poems of Ann Stanford. The basic principle of the article accepts that Medusa is a myth of social and cultural identity but claims that this myth is based on the prejudiced preferences of a patriarchal society. Medusa is a woman sentenced to death because of her identity and her actions against patriarchal norms. Such a situation caused Medusa’s transforming gaze to become a source of threat and danger.
Keywords : Kimlik, Yaratık, Kadın, Toplum, Cinsiyet, Kültür, Sanat, Ataerkil, Önyargılı, Olgu