Prologos Flashcards
Who informs us at the beginning
The Nurse (a servant) sets up domestic realism
The Nurse informs us of myth of Jason,
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
What is the significance of the mythic allusion at the beginning of the play
unjustice breeds unjustice
Mythical tale
The magic ship parallels Medea’s chariot at the end, a whole history of mythical causes.
The Nurse also tells us that MEdea has committed horrific crimes before arriving, crimes against family
What has Euripides done
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
Why is Medea now in Colchis
Iolkos inhabitants, disgusted, Jason and Medea fled to Corinth. (but we are not told this, Iolkos is mentioned though)
(like her fleeing to Athens
the nurse tells us that Medea is liked and good with JAson
(
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)
The Nurse ells us What has Jason done to dishonor his fmaily
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”
How is Glauce distanced from us
-(Glauce is unnamed throughout and we are thus distanced)
What does the Nurse tell us Medea cries out now she has been dishonoured
“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
The Nurse tells us that MEdea wont listen to advice
listen to advice like a sea wave or a rock
- starts the dehumanisation
Nurse tells us What does she bemoan, what does MEdea miss
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)
What does the Nurse tell us MEdea hates
-she hates her children (tokens of Jason’s marriage to her)
What is the Nurse afraid of
ironic
and highly foreboding
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
What does the nurse tell us the children have been doing the meanwhile
The children have been innocently playing (stark contrast) they take no notice of their mothers sorrow
What does the Tutor bring
The Tutor (another servant, unheroic, domestic realism, familiar atmosphere to inhumane cruelty) and the Nurse
Why has the nurse come outside (tells the Tutor)
the nurse has come outside to escape the tensions within, she speaks to the Sun and Sky
What has the Tutor discoveered,
what does the nurse think of this
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
Tutor is wise and cynical
The wise and cynical tutor explains that everyone loves himself more than his neighbour, some to better their situation
What is the Nurse still afraid about
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.
Medea’s first emotional outburst
expresses her unhappiness, sufferings and her wish that she could die,
What does the Nurse do in response to Medea’s crying
Nurse “her wild character” send the children inside, what will she do?
AS soon as the Nurse mentions the children what does MEdea do
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
TheNurse observes Medea as an ordinary person
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
Greek ideal
“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”
