Comparing Sophocles Electra To Gilligan's Violence

From the viewpoint of the killer, revenge may be the only form of justice. To understand why psychotic people and characters act the way they do, a deeper look into their ideas can be beneficial. Comparing the concepts in Sophocles' Electra to Gilligan's Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic of Justice and the reasons behind it unfold. Understanding the concepts of justice and punishment, shame and honor, death of self, the death sentence, love, language and violence, gender-based violence, and how they affect killers may give insight into why violent actions are committed. Sophocles' dramatic tragedy Electra dives into revenge and the ancient Greek "blood for blood" or more commonly, “an eye for an eye” concept of justice. In Electra, …show more content…

Clytemnestra's reply shows the misogyny prevalent in Greek society. She talks about Electra as if her existence revolved around her father. Gilligan's research on violence emphasizes the importance of gender equality when it relates to power struggles. “Gender codes reinforce the socialization of girls and women, socializing them to acquiesce in, support, defend, and cling to the traditional set of social roles, and to enforce conformity on other females as well” (Gilligan 229). According to Gilligan, gender roles have a significant impact on why humans kill. This sexism is akin to that seen in Sophocles' Electra. In Sophocles' Electra, Clytemnestra puts Electra down to force her to conform to societal expectations. In Gilligan's Violence, many of the homicidal males attempted to enforce gender norms to gain control over the women in their lives. These gender stereotypes in many instances cause women to be equal and seek justice for where they have been wronged/ For killers, seeking justice through violence against themselves and others is a necessary conclusion to their