Medea

Question 1

What was the context of composition for Medea? What was the performace context?

Answer 1

• All performers and spectators were men.
• First performed at the festival of Dionysus (god) in 431 BC
• Performed in a circular theatre in front of a mythological backdrop or palace, called a skene.

Question 2

What messages is Euripides trying to convey about opression through the resolution of the play?

Answer 2

• Letting medea escape is a reflection of Euripides’ sympathy for women
• Medea’s aggression a product of unjust oppressive treatment.
• Perhaps a warning to the Athenian audience (men) to beware of those who you oppress - evoking phobos.

Question 3

How is catharsis achieved by the resolution of the play?

Answer 3

• The lack of consequences for Medea’s action does not allow the audience to reach an ethical catharsis.
• There is emotional catharsis as the play evokes strong feelings of anger and fear.
• Medea’s success is cathartic as it fulfills her urge for revenge and releases her feelings of rage and hatred.

Question 4

How might an Athenian audience be prejudiced against Medea’s barbarianism?

Answer 4

• Legitimate birth had great importance
• citizens had to prove that they were from authentic Athenian families. This makes Jason’s actions more understandable.
• Barbarians and outsiders seen as wild, uncivilised, unruly.

Question 5

How mignt an Athenian audience be prejudiced against Medea being a woman?

Answer 5

• Greeks see her as wild, dangerous embodiment of negative stereotypes of women. Substantiated by her plotting, deceiving, and act of killing children.

Question 6

How might modern audiences view Medea?

Answer 6

• She is seen as vengeful, passionate, and unrelenting as she seeks justice.
• A modern audience might sympathize with her emotions, feelings of betrayal, and complaints about the plight of women.
• Nevertheless shocked by the extent of her passion and desire for revenge.

Question 7

How would an Athenian audience view Jason?

Answer 7

• Has a heroic past,
• He is a skilled rhetorician, but mostly argues in his own defense.
• Greeks might sympathize with his actions and grief over loss of children.
• However, Jason is positioned as the antagonist by breaking the oath and causing Medea’s pain.

Question 8

How do other characters in the play view Medea?

Answer 8

• Creon and Jason find Medea’s cleverness more frightening and dangerous because she is a woman: [Creon] “A sharp tempered woman … is easier to deal with than the clever type”
• The nurse notes her vengeful temprement: “no one making an enemy of her will win an easy victory” [Nurse, prologue]

Question 9

How does Medea break the societal expectations associated with being a woman?

Answer 9

• Medea represents the vices of women
• independence, intelligence, and cunning
• Medea’s language more often used by men: “begins to address the Chorus in measured tones”, unwomanly - Women were uninvolved in public life, and were expected to stay indoors.
• Medea breaks norms by leaving the house without Jason.
• Ancient Greece was a Patriarchal society

Question 10

How is ancient Athenian politics reflected through the play Medea?

Answer 10

• Democracy, the voice was an important tool of communication.
• Parallels between politics and theatre, persuasion argument.
• Persuasive politicians often most influential.

Question 11

Why does Euripides position Medea as the protagonist, allowing her to escape at the end?

Answer 11

• Reflection of Euripides’ sympathy for women
• Medea’s aggression a product of unjust oppressive treatment: “at great expense we must buy a husband”, who would “play tyant with our bodies”. Refers to patriarchal society: bride’s families had to pay husbands.

Question 12

How would an Athenian audience react to the resolution of the play?

Answer 12

• Would be upset about the death of innocent children.
• The fact that Medea gets away is unsettling; goes against tragedy conventions (protagonist supposed to die). - She faces no repercussions for her actions: intentionally shocking.

Question 13

How would a modern audience react to the resolution of the play?

Answer 13

• Would be upset about the death of innocent children

- Unsettled by the fact that Medea gets away and faces no repercussions.

Question 14

What evidence is there to suggest that there has been a periphery in fortune at the resolution of the play?

Answer 14

• Reversal in confrontation - Jason is the one who is upset - Medea changed from inferior to being the victor supported by physical reversal of high and low stage positions.
• Communication - Medea speaks first , Jason speaking in response: “allow me to bury my dead and weep over them” [Jason]
• Medea has gone from being piteous to in control

Question 15

What is the role of the children in the play?

Answer 15

• Only speak once, and are more like pieces of the set than actors.
• Used as a means for Medea to get revenge on Jason.
• Seem innocent, insignificant.

Question 16

How is the theme of exile explored in the play?

Answer 16

• Medea’s impending exile is one of the main drivers of the plot, as her life is turned upside down.
• Medea uses exile as a plea to remain in Clochis and for her children to remain.
• Exile is more than a physical state: emotional and spiritual “what dishonour” “I have no land, no home” [medea]
• Creon’s decision to exile her is preemptive and without evidence, for selfish protection > unjust.
• Chorus: “a misery beyond all others”

Question 17

What messages does Euripides convey about men and women?

Answer 17

• Many characters give the sense that men and women are not doing as they should/behaving as they ought. Perhaps if they had tragedy may not have happened.

Question 18

How does Euripides characterise Medea during the exposition?

Answer 18

• She seems helpless, pitiful, and the victim. The nurse describes her as “wasting away every moment of the day in tears”. Repetition of “poor lady”.
• Bold and stubborn, difficult to reason with - rage, grief and regret grief prevents her from listening to her friends.

Question 19

Where is the play set? What is the significance of the setting?

Answer 19

• Set in Corinth, in front of Medea’s house.
• Plays were set in the past and in far off lands to create distance between the story and the audience. Insulting to talk about Athenians in plays.
• The home as a symbol of family and comfort is a harshly ironic setting for the story.

Question 20

What is hamartia and what role does it play in Medea?

Answer 20

• It is a fatal flaw in a character that typically causes their downfall in Greek tragedy.
• Medea’s hamartia is her passionate vengefulness. Nurse calls it her “savage temperament”, “stubborn”
• Audience would be expecting Medea to be undone by her hamartia, but she is not; instead everyone else suffers. Breaks the mould of Greek tragedy.

Question 21

What messages does Euripides convey about love in the play?

Answer 21

• The play gives a cynical view of love, which is a cause for destruction. The chorus says love that is too strong will end badly; must be in moderation: “if the Cyprian tempers her visit”.

Question 22

How does the chorus react to Medea throughout the play?

Answer 22

• The chorus often sympathizes with Medea’s arguments, saying that “recompense is coming for the female sex”.
• Tries to advise Medea and act as a voice of reason: “we beg you not to murder your children!” (episode 3).

Question 23

How would an Athenian audience view Jason’s breaking of the oath? How would they view Jason taking a new wife?

Answer 23

• It would be seen as deeply dishonorable, perhaps now he is not to be trusted.
• Marriage was contractual, not about love, so the Athenian audience is perhaps more accepting of Jason’s actions. Says of Jason’s remarriage “Often it happens”

Question 24

What is the myth of Medea?

Answer 24

• Medea is an enchantress who has divine blood and magical abilities.
• Jason met Medea whilst trying to steal the Golden Fleece.
• Medea killed her brother so she could leave and marry Jason.
• In other versions of Medea Jason kills the children
• Euripides decides to have Medea do it.

Question 25

What is the role of the chorus in Medea?

Answer 25

• The chorus gives Medea advice on what behavior best suits a woman. Says of Jason’s remarriage “Often it happens”
• Composed of Corinthian women - Subtly guides the audience’s reactions to the play through commentary and observations.
• A voice of reason. The chorus advises Medea: “Don’t waste your life away with too much wailing for your husband”.
• As onlookers, the chorus’ perspective is one of common sense and rationality, providing a contrast to the strong emotions shown by Medea.

Question 26

How does Jason try to rationalise his actions?

Answer 26

Says he has shown “wisdom” and “prudence”. Did not remarry out of lust, rather the money and status the marriage would bring. The Athenian audience would consider this a rational choice.

Question 27

What is the significance of killing the children?

Answer 27

• It is an act of revenge to torture Jason
• It symbolizes Medea destroying her remaining connection to Jason.
• Feminist interpretation is that her murder is a symbollic act of rebellion against the role of mother and wife (children are boys), in keeping with the complaints she makes in her first speech.
• In a way she is destroying the next generation of opressors.

Question 28

What is the role of the Nurse in Medea?

Answer 28

• Begins in medias res, Nurse sets the scene, brief summary of the myth. Laments events leading to Medea’s grief.
• She acts as a nuntius (messenger) who relays offstage events to the audience
• She acts almost as a narrator, explaining Medea’s actions and motivations: “Jason has betrayed my lady”

Question 29

“I would rather face the enemy three times than face childbirth once” explain this quote and the effect on a contemporary and modern audience.

Answer 29

• Medea rejects the traditional role of women, and undermines the bravery and honour of battle.
• Medea’s ideas seen as radical and offensive by male Greek audience, who themselves would have been in battle.
• Modern audience would better appreciate the pain and injustice Medea is expressing.

Question 30

How would Athenian audiences react to Medea’s opening speech?

Answer 30

• Medea’s claims about the difficulty of life for women were very radical

Question 31

How would modern audiences react to Medea’s opening speech?

Answer 31

• A modern audience might sympathize more and perhaps interpret it from a more feminist perspective.

Question 32

How does the play begin and why?

Answer 32

• Begins in medias res, Nurse sets the scene, brief summary of the myth. Laments events leading to Medea’s grief.
• Euripides begins foreshadowing the killing of the children: “I’ve seen her look at them [her children] with savage eyes, as if she means to injure them somehow”
• Knowing the myth would give Athenian audience a sense of dramatic irony a modern audience might not get.

Question 33

Why does Medea receive divine interference (Helios’ chariot)? What is the impact of this?

Answer 33

• Various interpretations: Jason has broken his oath? Medea was right to act as she did, and the gods support her? Gods are indifferent?
• Goes against societal expectations, shocking [Unpopular reception - did not win competition at festival of Dionysus].
• Adds to tragic effect.

Question 34

How is the killing of the children forshadowed?

Answer 34

• The nurse’s predictions that ‘she may hatch some unheard-of scheme’ foreshadow the plan to kill children. As the audience knows the myth, this is DI

Question 35

How is Medea characterised as manipulative?

Answer 35

• During episode four [immediately after the plan], Medea pretends to apologies for her earlier insults to Jason. She admits negative stereotypes of women and agrees to his complaints. Jason accepting of her words believes her but audience knows she is lying.
• With Aegeus, she “assumes a posture of helplessness in front of him”, saying “pity me”. Trying to evoke eleos.
• Of her plan, she says “I shall use honeyed words”

Question 36

In what way is the play cynical?

Answer 36

• Takes a dismal view of humanity; both Medea and Jason lack positive character traits and are unsympathetic to others.

Question 37

What is the significance of Medea’s sanity?

Answer 37

• She knows that the deed is terrible: “I am well aware of how terrible a crime I am about to commit”
• Makes her seem more evil/vengeful; the fact that she is still in control evokes phobos

Question 38

What is the significance of Medea’s doubts about killing the children?

Answer 38

• Jason says in episode 4: “Why are these fresh tears moistening your eyes?” She is perhaps acting but could be crying because she knows the children are going to die.
• Genuinely upset about having to kill the children: reveals the intensity of her desire for revenge.
• She has a change of heart: “No, I shall not do it. Goodbye to my plans.”
• Makes the act even more shocking and horrific.

Question 39

What is a quote to show the theme of women and femininity?

Answer 39

“of all creatures on earth, we women are the most miserable”

• Conveys the central theme of the plight of women in Greek patriarchal society.
• Euripides similarly defended slaves as another oppressed group in a number of his plays.

Question 40

What is a quote to show the theme of revenge?

Answer 40

• Medea explains to the chorus leader when questioned about killing her children: “it is the supreme way to hurt my husband”
• Shows her hatred is such that she will go to any lengths to get revenge.

Question 41

What is a quote to show the theme of betrayal?

Answer 41

“wrong a women in love and nothing on this earth has a heart more murderous”

• Suggests that all women have the potential for murder, evoking phobos. Perhaps difficult to believe/false stereotype for modern audiences.

Question 42

What is a quote to show the theme of foreigners/barbarians?

Answer 42

Jason: “you [Medea] have a home in Hellas [Greece]
instead of some barbarian land. You have known justice”
- Jason views himself as having rescued Medea from a dark and savage land - she should be grateful. View likely shared by Athenian audience.
- Euripides perhaps trying to challenge this attitude: Medea’s intelligence and manipulative qualities are un-barbaric.