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The role of women in classical Athens was considered to be insignificant compared to that of men. However, in the tragedies of the fifth century, women were dominant major characters that were seen as heroines. In many tragedies of fifth century Athens, the women characters appear as strong, defiant women who are able to carry out matters that would take a lot of courage. However this picture of the fifth century Athenian woman that the plays show, do not concur with what is known about the women that lived in the time that these plays were written. In the Athenian polis, women had their specific place, which was often in the home and were denied many aspects of public life. They were not allowed to own land and were married off very young to total strangers. From childhood the divide between the two sexes can be seen. Young boys would attend private schools while girls women were forced to stay home with the mother. However the plays of that time do not reflect the evidence that we have about the women in classical Athens. The tragedies of Medea, Antigone, Electra, and even Agamemnon, show women are strong and free willed and are capable of doing things on their own. In Euripides’ Medea, Medea is constantly talking about the c