Prologos

Question 1

Who informs us at the beginning

Answer 1

The Nurse (a servant) sets up domestic realism

Question 2

The Nurse informs us of myth of Jason,

Answer 2

wishes that Jason and the Argonauts had never gone to the Coalchians land and the ship never made for the heroic men who went to win the Golden Fleece for Pelias.
-Pelias had usurped Jason’s father’s Kingdom and sent Jason to get the Golden Fleece from Colchis. Argos built a magic ship Argo from wood from Mount Pelion (Achilles spear). Medea helped him get the fleece

Question 3

What is the significance of the mythic allusion at the beginning of the play

Answer 3

unjustice breeds unjustice
Mythical tale
The magic ship parallels Medea’s chariot at the end, a whole history of mythical causes.

Question 4

The Nurse also tells us that MEdea has committed horrific crimes before arriving, crimes against family
What has Euripides done

Answer 4

Medea persuaded the daughters of Pelias to kill their father (if they chopped him up and boiled him in a cauldron he would be rejuvenated) as punishment for
Pelias’ treatment.

Euripides spares the gory details we are just told us that she persuaded thm to kill him, sympathise with Medea (underlying sinister tone)
History

Question 5

Why is Medea now in Colchis

Answer 5

Iolkos inhabitants, disgusted, Jason and Medea fled to Corinth. (but we are not told this, Iolkos is mentioned though)
(like her fleeing to Athens

Question 6

the nurse tells us that Medea is liked and good with JAson

(

Answer 6

We are told Medea gladdens the citizens with whom she now lives. Totally in accord with Jason, we are told that they are in accord in marriage (but she is a foreigner so no legal validity)

Question 7

The Nurse ells us What has Jason done to dishonor his fmaily

Answer 7

Jason has betrayed his children and Medea and is married into the royal family, daughter of Creon , Glauce(he will therefore be king)

MEDEA IS “DISHONORED”

Question 8

How is Glauce distanced from us

Answer 8

-(Glauce is unnamed throughout and we are thus distanced)

Question 9

What does the Nurse tell us Medea cries out now she has been dishonoured

Answer 9

“his oaths!” And calls ,the gods to witness the unfairness, weeping, eating nothing

• sympathetic
• but not only has JAson sinned against the family but it is also a crime towards the gods

Question 10

The Nurse tells us that MEdea wont listen to advice

Answer 10

listen to advice like a sea wave or a rock

- starts the dehumanisation

Question 11

Nurse tells us What does she bemoan, what does MEdea miss

Answer 11

Now she bemoans her country, father, home which she sacrificed to go with Jason, she now knows what it is to be parted from her fatherland. (she now has nothing left)

Question 12

What does the Nurse tell us MEdea hates

Answer 12

-she hates her children (tokens of Jason’s marriage to her)

Question 13

What is the Nurse afraid of
ironic
and highly foreboding

Answer 13

the nurse is afraid she may do something we don’t expect (ironic) as we do expect it
She thinks she may kill the children, or even the bride and her groom
No one who joins in conflict with her will celebrate an easy victory

Question 14

What does the nurse tell us the children have been doing the meanwhile

Answer 14

The children have been innocently playing (stark contrast) they take no notice of their mothers sorrow

Question 15

What does the Tutor bring

Answer 15

The Tutor (another servant, unheroic, domestic realism, familiar atmosphere to inhumane cruelty) and the Nurse

Question 16

Why has the nurse come outside (tells the Tutor)

Answer 16

the nurse has come outside to escape the tensions within, she speaks to the Sun and Sky

Question 17

What has the Tutor discoveered,

what does the nurse think of this

Answer 17

The tutor reveals by the nurses supplication that he found out from where the old men sit and play draughts (unheroic realism) that Creon is going to drive the children out

Nurse implies that is would be shameful for Jason to allow the children this fate. He is a traitor to his friends

Question 18

Tutor is wise and cynical

Answer 18

The wise and cynical tutor explains that everyone loves himself more than his neighbour, some to better their situation

Question 19

What is the Nurse still afraid about

Answer 19

Nurse is afraid for the children, saw Medea’s eye glint like that of a bull, she won’t give up her rage before she has “swooped down on someone” if only she would not chose a friend.

Question 20

Medea’s first emotional outburst

Answer 20

expresses her unhappiness, sufferings and her wish that she could die,

Question 21

What does the Nurse do in response to Medea’s crying

Answer 21

Nurse “her wild character” send the children inside, what will she do?

Question 22

AS soon as the Nurse mentions the children what does MEdea do

Answer 22

accursed children may you die with your father, And the whole house fall in ruin (wants to destroy Jason’s family?)
- wishes to destroy the family, its already been destroyed in her mind

Question 23

TheNurse observes Medea as an ordinary person

Answer 23

Observes Medea as an ordinary person “our royal masters have dangerous spirits”, they have great power but little control and so their moods veer violently

Question 24

Greek ideal

Answer 24

“The name of Moderation has a better ring than that of Greatness” one of the ideals of Greek life. Inscribed on Apollo’s temple at Delphi “nothing in excess” as excess can rouse divine resentment. Nurse: “Excess brings no profit to mortals”