Medea's plan for revenge is not clearly announced until fairly late in the play. Analyze the formation in her mind of the decision to kill the children. Medea is a woman, but Euripides has presented her as a figure previously thought of as exclusively male-a hero. Analyze her character in the play as a mixture of the inherent qualities of Achilles and Odysseus. Medea is a foreigner, an oriental princess, and Jason, as well as some modern critics, attribute the ferocity of her revenge to the fact that she is a "barbarian." How does the contrast between barbarian and Greek function in the play? Analyze the "revenge" motif in the drama. Analyze the structure of "family relationships" in the drama. Compare and contrast Medea's and Jason's views toward commitment. Analyze the theme of "diseased love" in the drama. Analyze the egotism demonstrated by Jason and Medea. Analyze the depiction of women's subordinate role in Greek society. Analyze the motif of "chaos" in the drama. Analyze the love/hate relationship depicted in the drama. Analyze the theme of "excess" in the drama. Analyze the theme of "annihilation" in the drama. ====================== What promise does Medea ask for and receive from the Chorus? 10. What new misfortune does Kreon bring to Medea? According to Medea, no sensible person would want clever children. Why? 12. Why is Kreon's love for his home and family especially bitter to Medea? 13. What one request of Medea's does Kreon grant? Is he really being merciful? 14. What does Medea resolve to do? 15. Who was Medea's grandfather? (See l. 403.) 16. According to the Chorus, which sex is cruel and deceitful toward the other? Why have poets said otherwise? 17. Whom does Jason blame for Medea's sorrow? 18. What has Medea done for Jason? 19. What justifications does Jason offer for his actions? 20. How do Medea and the Chorus respond to Jason's defense? 21. What does the Chorus say about what makes love desirable or not desirable? 22. Who swears to help Medea IF she comes safely to his land? (Why would this part get special attention from the play's original audience?) 23. What terrible plan does Medea reveal to the Chorus? Why will she do it? 24. Why does the Chorus praise Athens in ll. 808-21? 25. Why does Medea speak of women as she does in ll. 865-69? 26. What are Medea and the Chorus thinking of in ll. 870-82? Does Jason understand? Why are his next words ironic? Why does Medea weep again? 27. What struggle occurs in Medea in ll. 1035-1042? 28. According to the Chorus, the childless are more fortunate than those who have children. Why? 29. How do Medea and the audience learn about the fate of Kreon and his daughter? (Compare this with the way we learn of Jocasta's death and Oedipus's blinding in Oedipus the King.) 30. How is the death of Medea's children staged? 31. Why is Jason's speech in ll. 1268-1280 ironic? 32. What satisfaction does Medea find in her horrible deed? (See l. 1337.) 33. What final comfort does Medea refuse to allow Jason to have? 34. How does the play end? Does this suggest that the gods approve of Medea's actions? Some points to think about: Euripides produced this play about the fury of a mistreated foreign woman in 431 BCE, just as Athens, at the height of its oppressive empire (Athenian "allies" were subject states), began its fatal war with Sparta. What does the fate of Medea and of those who mistreat and oppress her say to its own time? Might it shed any light on the problem of terrorism in our own time? What happens to the characters of both when one human being treats another as Jason treats Medea? What happens to Medea when she gets her terrible revenge? Does this play inspire "pity [for unmerited suffering] and fear [for the suffering of someone like ourselves]" as Aristotle says tragedy should do? Or does it simply horrify us? ============================= Medea's character: benevolent? capacity to love? self-deceptive? wild/barbarian? quality of her intelligence? Why does King Creon fear Medea? Medea's will: When does she decide to destroy the children? Is the Nurse just imagining things in the opening scene, or is there something about Medea which gives her grounds to fear? Why does Medea hesitate? Or does she really? Why does she hesitate? Jason and Medea: love? Once, in the past? Now? Or just passion? Self-interest? Jason's character: What of his motives, expressed in the speech in Episode II? Is he sincere? A cad? A cheap lawyer (no offense intended)? What do you make of the nature of Medea's revenge? Appropriate? Immoderate? Why must the children die? Does she take pleasure in the deeds? Chorus: Whom do they favor? What do they understand of things and motives? =========== Medea, a barbarian witch, having betrayed her family to help her lover Jason win the Golden Fleece, now finds him courting another woman, the daughter of King Creon of Corinth and a 'real Greek'. After failing to persuade Jason to return to her, she decid es to kill her rival with a gift of poisoned clothing. She also decides to kill her children. King Aegeus of Athens stumbles along in search of a cure for his childlessness. He agrees to grant her asylum should she need it. She escapes from Jason at the e nd of the play on a dragon-drawn chariot given to her by her grandfather Helius, the sun god. If you know anything about the Argonauts, consider Euripides' use of Jason. How does Euripides fulfill or confound your expectations of these myths. Compare him to other heroes we have studied. Does he seem heroic? What is virtuous or sleazy about him? What specifically has he done wrong? What motivates Jason? Note that he only refers to their children as his. This is still one of the most controversial plays ever written, with its powerful evocations of women's rights and Medea's choice of infanticide. Consider carefully what you think of its awesome heroine. Pay close attention to how and when she comes to de cide to kill her children. Consider her reasoning and note when she wavers. Does Medea remind you of other women in myth? The audience would expect her to be a witch; does Euripides fulfill those expectations, or does he present a more "normal" woman? Euripides, as Sophocles once said, drew men as they are, not as they ought to be. Do you agree? In what ways are his charactes, plots and actions more realistic. Note the extensive space given to "lower" characters like the Nurse and Tutor. Euripides like s to give all the necessary information (or at least it seems that way -- be careful) at the beginning of the play, as opposed to Sophocles. You may have read another Greek drama where the main character is first heard screaming from inside the skene about his or her dishonor. Try to connect that drama to this one. You might find the comparison surprising. Medea's great first speech is stunningly modern in its account of the injustices done to women in patriarchal societies. Medea may seem at times a frightening character, but compare her real ethical concerns with the rather shallow and scheming h ol lows of Creon and Jason. And do you see any significance in namelessness of her rival? Consider the curious scene with Aegeus? Who is he and what is he doing there? What does the curious oracle given to him mean? Do you know who is born from Medea's promise to Aegeus? Think about it. Note where she is going at the end of the play. At the end of the play, where is Medea? What impact does her position have? Do you think this image is based on Euripides' drama? =========================== MEDEA Setting: Jason and Medea's house. There is no need for a shift in scene. In the case of people dying, the messenger conveys the details and thus eliminates the necessity of changing scenes. This alternate depiction of violence through dialogue is indicative of Greek drama--the root of the word obscene is "off stage." Prologue: Nurse, Tutor, Medea What is the purpose of the Nurse's speech? Part of her purpose is to tell the audience about the past and thus locate the story in time and place; this is a literary convention--many prologues in Greek drama provide us with necessary information and give us a history lesson. Ask yourself if the prologue generates any sympathy for Medea. Why does she sail away with Jason in the first place? Medea's attitude toward her children concerns the Nurse. Explain. The children play an essential role in this tragedy. The central focus of the play could be characterized around "the theme of the children." The sons of Jason and Medea are always present to some degree, if not on stage then in the dialogue. They may exist on the margins momentarily, but they are never marginalized. Euripides is regarded by some people as the first feminist. He shows us that the patriarchal system perpetuates destructive inequality, especially applicable to the double-standard that defines the institution of marriage. Whether we can maintain this perspective is a matter of interpreting the evidence. Euripides does mess with the status quo, for instance, allowing Medea to claim as her own previously held exclusive male rights. The sacrifice of the innocent child has been the prerogative of Kings like Agamemnon, who at Calchas' decree sacrifices his daughter Iphigeneia. But in the end, the killing of one's children may also reinforce an ancient archetype, in Medea's case, that women cannot be trusted. Once again interpretation plays a role. An assessment of Medea's character sways on our ability to put aside our own version of truth, at least momentarily, in order to consider alternatives. Whatever else, this challenge, this movement toward cognitive dissonance seems catalytically to be Euripides' modus operandi. And we have modern women writers who offer a similar challenge. Toni Morrison gives us a female character, a mother, in Beloved who slays her own children rather than have them live as slaves in the southern plantation system. Injustice is a greater cruelty than death. First Episode: Medea, Chorus, Creon Medea has been weeping; yet she is lucid. Her speech again underscores the plight of women. "Of all creatures that can feel and think, / we women are the worst-treated things alive." For Medea, in marriage the husband becomes the dictator of a woman's body. Consider the critical Thinking Rubric # 1: What is the problem (or problems)? Separate out the different problems Medea and women in general face and explain the nuances of each. What request does Medea make to the Chorus of Corinthian women? Creon arrives! What order does Creon give? What does Medea say about smart women? What does Medea appeal to in Creon's nature that allows her more time? After Creon's departure, Medea reveals her true intentions. What do you think of Medea here? Consider her situation and her motivation and her cunning. Does she still have your sympathy? How does she view the female sex? First Stasimon (or Ode): Each Stasimon includes Strophe and Antistrophe. What is the Chorus' reaction to Medea's intentions? What does the Chorus say about ballads of the ages gone by? How might the Chorus' reaction to Medea's intentions be similar to or different from your reaction? Explain why. Second Episode: Jason, Chorus and Medea This episode asks us to consider the character of Jason carefully. What does Jason say he has done for Medea? What has Medea done for Jason in the past? How does Jason rationalize his actions? What do the gods have to do with it? According to Jason what advantages did Medea derive from coming to Greece? What do you think of Jason's perspective? Second Stasimon: The Chorus speaks of the dangers of love. Explain this view. What does the chorus suggest about the relationship between one's passion and one's relationship to the State? What are the implications of what these Corinthian women say? Does love fit with politics? Why or why not? Third Episode: Aegeus, Medea, and Chorus Medea arranges for her escape and sanctuary in Athens under the protection of King Aegeas. He will receive Medea in his city. Why? Under what condition? What does Aegeus think about how Jason has treated her and their children? Medea makes Aegeus swear an oath of loyalty to her and their agreement. By whom does Medea make him swear? After Aegeus' departure, Medea rejoices. What is Medea's device for murdering the daughter of the King, Jason's future bride? What does she plan to do to her own sons? This is a critical turning point in the drama. Evaluate carefully Medea's intention to murder her own children. What is the Chorus' reaction to Medea's plan to murder her sons? Medea directs the Nurse to go get Jason. Third Stasimon: The Chorus of Corinthian women desperately try to move Medea from her purpose. The Chorus sings of Athens plight as well. King Aegeus, it seems, doesn't realize what Medea has planned when he offers her protection in his city. As natural law, to harbor a murderer within your land spells certain doom. Historically, Euripides was regarded as a seer himself because Athens will indeed be defeated in the Peloponnesian War, and thus the playwright comprehensively prophesies this defeat within the play itself. Fourth Episode: Jason, Medea, and Chorus What attitude does Medea now present to Jason? What is Jason's reaction to her seemingly change of heart? Medea asks Jason to ask Creon to let their two children remain in Corinth with their father. She even asks that Jason employ the loyalty of his new wife to plead for the children's sake. We know this is ruse, a way of delivering the "gorgeous presents." We know that multiple murders are eminent. Forth Stasimon: Notice that the Chorus' attitude about Medea has changed as a result of her desire to murder her own children. It seems that having Medea murder her own sons was Euripides' idea. This is a new twist that previously has NOT been associated with the mythology of Medea. Why would Euripides have Medea murder her sons? Fifth Episode: Tutor and Medea and Chorus What news does the Tutor report to Medea? The boys return to Medea and she emotionally struggles with her own mind. Who is the only one that can stop Medea from murdering her children? Fifth Stasimon: The Chorus suggests that women have a muse of their own that ushers in wisdom. What is this wisdom? What is the saddest sorrow of all? Sixth Episode: Messenger and Medea The messenger reports the deaths of the princess and Creon himself to Medea. How were their deaths accomplished? Euripides gives us a detailed description of the deaths that is particularly gruesome. Explain what happens. Why does Euripides make their deaths so horrible? What does Medea intend to do now? Sixth Stasimon: The Chorus prays for something to stop the murder of the children Seventh Episode: Jason, Chorus, and Medea What concern does Jason have when he hears of his children's deaths? Jason says: "Oh woman, you've just killed me." What does Jason mean? Medea appears in a chariot drawn by winged dragons. By her side are the two dead boys. What is the significance of this chariot? What is the role of the gods in her escape? Do you feel sympathy for Jason? If so, evaluate how your sympathies have changed as the drama unfolds. Obviously the event that shifts empathy away from Medea--the child-killer--toward Jason (for most people in the audience) is the death of the children. Is there any perspective at all that might lead you to acquit Medea for this act of infanticide? Jason's question: You think it right to murder for a thwarted bed? In fact this question still plagues us. The obvious answer today is "No." What has replaced murder? What does Jason ask Medea for in the end? What is Medea's answer? Exodos: Jason and Medea and Chorus In the end Medea is unrelenting. She predicts that Jason will indeed carry this grief into old age. What comment does the Chorus make at the end of the play? Questions: 1. Medea's killing of her children can be juxtaposed to the attempted killing of the infant Oedipus by his father and mother and the sacrifice of Iphigeneia by Agamemnon. Discuss the way or ways you reacted to the different portrayal of "the death of children" as a literary motif in Homer and then in Euripides. 2. Medea has been described as a strong, independent woman, as a woman mad with passion, and as a witch. What view is finally conveyed in the play? 3. Euripides was considered an eccentric and an intellectual radical. In what ways is this true. In what ways is it false ================== Throughout Euripides' Medea, references are made to what it means to be Greek and what it means to be an outsider. How does this bear on the action of the play? 2. Think about Medea's role as wife and mother in Greek society. How does this bear on the action of the play and affect your interpretation? 3. Medea is a descendant of the gods, and at the end of the play, Apollo sends a chariot, pulled by dragons, to take her to Athens. The film ends somewhat differently. How does the original ending bear on the action of the play and affect your interpretation? Does the ending used in the film lead you to view the ending differently? 4. Here is how Euripides ends the play: CHORUS. Many are the Fates which Zeus in Olympus dispenses;/Many matters the gods bring to surprising ends./The things we thought would happen do not happen;/The unexpected God makes possible;/And such is the conclusion of this story. Does this statement help decide how to interpret the play? 5. In the play The Eumenides, Apollo states the following: "The woman you call the mother of the child/is not the parent, just a nurse to the seed,/the new-sown seed that grows and swells inside her. /The man is the source of life—the one who mounts./She, like a stranger for a stranger, keeps /the shoot alive unless god hurts the roots." What does this suggest to you about the action in Medea? ===================== Identify the incentive moment, climax, and resolution of this play. Analyze the formal structure of the play: explain how each scene is linked to the preceding and following scenes. Does the play have unity of action? Is there a direct cause-and-effect relationship between each event? What role does coincidence play in the drama? Does the play have a hamartia, peripeteia, and anagnorisis? If so, identify them. According to the best interpretations of Medea, the major theme of the play is connected with the role of women in Greek society. Using a scene-by-scene analysis, describe this theme and explain how it is presented throughout the drama. What is Medea's primary motivation and how is it related to this theme? Describe the characterization of Jason and his part in developing the theme. Analyze the role of the chorus and the choral odes in relation to this theme. In this connection, what is the significance of the resolution of the play, especially Euripides' use of the mechane? Some readers have found this play to be vigorously feminist (for example, British suffragists used to open their meetings by reading aloud passages from Medea), while others have viewed it as virulently misogynistic. Why is there such a range of responses to the play? In this respect, compare the characterization and actions of Medea with those of Clytemnestra, Antigone, and Deianeira. Does this play focus more on “the woman question” than the plays in which these heroines appear? What is the role of the gods in this play? Does Euripides present a coherent vision of human life in this play (e.g., man's relationship with the gods, fate, human motivations, etc.)? ================= How does Euripides characterize Medea in this play? Does she seem like a typical Greek woman? Is she a sympathetic figure? How might the audience have reacted to her? How does, or doesn't, Medea fit into Corinthian society? How does her position differ from Jason's? How does Euripides characterize Jason in this play? Does he seem like a typical Greek hero? What are his reasons for the new marriage? What are his attitudes toward Medea and his children? Is he a sympathetic figure? How might the audience have reacted to him? What are Medea's reasons for killing her children? Is this an easy choice for her? What are the factors that contribute to this decision? Why does she decide to kill Jason's bride as well? What do you make of the messenger speech? What sort of picture does it present of the young bride? What sort of picture does it present of Medea? How does the chorus react to this speech? Do their sympathies for Medea change? If so, at what point? How do you feel about Jason at the end of the play? Does he deserve the fate he receives? Finally, how is Medea presented at the end of the play? What kind of resolution is this?