Themes Flashcards
Theme of Religion
MEDEA: medea’s religion carries a sense of otherness; she is not a greek and worships the ancient sun god Sol (who she claims to be descendent from) and the greek goddess of death Hecate. The provision of the chariot from the gods suggests medea is morally right. Athenian audience would criticise her forbidding the burial rights to Jason of her children (antigone). the chorus in the parados call to Zeus for justice. Medea’s ability to use magic sets her above the ordinary characters
- HIPPOLYTUS: Hip’s tragedy demonstrates that the greeks were expected to worship all the gods. His religious failings have dire consequences. Chorus highlight power of gods, which is the moral message of the play.
- OEDIPUS: sends Creon to seek oracle at Delphi and recognises the urgency of the plague and Apollo’s message. He shows respect to priest because of his religious position and old age, yet allows him to kneel before him which is wrong cuz priest is above a king. T refuses to respect Tiresius as a representative of Apollo. Jocasta thinks she can be pious without accepting all the religious ideas (prophecies) she says nothing human can predict the future. This hubris is punished. Oedipus’ fall is prophesied before his birth.
- ANTIGONE: antigone demonstrates the importance of religious duties through burying Polynices. She says Creons law was a man’s law which went against the gods laws. This is the writers message to the audience. Creon is hubris through his law against the gods.
Theme of Family
MEDEA - Jason is punished for throwing away one oikos, or legacy, for another. (greek audience would judge this). He is responsible to care for wife and children but fails to do so by leaving them for a new wife and failing to save his children in time. Medea sympathy for her iscolation as she has no family and will kill her last (children). Chrous emphasise how her birth pangs were in vain. Married woman expected to be loyal to her husband (both medea and antigone are not). Aegeus shows devotion to his duty to have children. Medea uses her children as a weapon against Jason. this is his reversal and he wants to die after losing them (effect of a child). loss of child will cause most pain
HIPPOLYTUS - part of a mans duty to marry and have children to carry on legacy; criticised by audience. Theseus reaction to Phaedra’s death shows he is a loving and devoted husband. Also trusts his wife’s final words. Phaedra obsessed with reputation and loyalty to family (speech on duty of wife not to be a hussy) and the importance of a mothers reputation to her children. Theseus does not trust hippolytus but grieves his death saying “my child”.
OEDIPUS - Family awkwardness cuz incest ennit. Ironically most stable husband/wife relationship is jocasta and oedipus. Oedipus shows love of his parents when fleeing Corinth to protect them from the prophacy. Only killed Laius cuz didnt know it was father. Jocasta willing to sacrifice her baby to protect her husband. J tries to protect Creon from death by Oedipus.
ANTIGONE: A shows importance of maintaining family honour through burial. Creon rejects his family for power over the city. regrets this when his home turns into a tomb and loses power over his family (haemon). Antigone laments her dead family and looks forward to meeting them in hades. she also laments the loss of her marriage showing how it meant a lot to her. Creon has little respect for Haemon (patronising and ignoring him) but weeps at his death and carries his body from the cave. Antigone harsh to ismene about winning glory, but may be due to her protecting her sister. Haemon sacrifices relationship with father for Antigone.
Theme of women
Medea: sympathetic cuz sacrificed everything for jason. Foreigner but loved by chorus. she is a skilled speaker (convincing chorus, creon and jason). her feminist speech makes us sympathetic. she is a clever woman and very proud yet vulnerable. Displays masculine characteristics such as honour and focuses on the revenge ethic (phaedra and antigone). She is semi-divine (sol) and not punished at the end. She is portrayed as a barbarian witch
. HIPPOLYTUS: Phaedra praised for determination to maintain honour and not shame family. sympathy cuz foreigner and cursed (like medea was cursed in love). she cannot resist fate but attempts. phaedra dies a lonely death that serves to secure the paternal bond between hippolytus and theseus (misogynistic). Her being able to write may be a message to audience about the risk of allowing women to step outside their proper places (tablet is lies and destructive). P is weak for framing Hippolytus and shows she cares about herself more than theseus. Was a victim, but then victimised an innocent.
OEDIPUS: jocasta is bold and holds same power as oedipus (messenger talks to her without waiting for oedipus). she tries to be pious but his hubris about prophecies. she has authority in that she can command both creon and oedipus. criticised for not exploring Laius death, yet did her duty by marrying the man the people wanted as king. her relationship with Oedipus makes the outcome more tragic and her determination to overcome prophecy is her downfall.
ANTIGONE: Sophocles is challenging standard greek gender roles by opening play with just women outside city walls. shown as independant. Antigone is clearly right in the moral scheme of the play. Ismene is the modle women as she does not break rules or social conventions. knows her place and goes back into house after prologos. Creon’s anger is largely the fact that the rebel was female. betrayed by a woman. feels emasculated by a woman who challenges his authority by saying toy cannot rule against the will of the gods/people.
Theme of love
Love:
- MEDEA: medea killed her Brother for her love of Jason. This passionate love turned to passionate hate as she seeks revenge on Jason through killing his new family and children. Destructive nature of emotions. Her love for her children nearly makes her reject the whole plan, but she uses will power to conquer this. Creon passionately loves his daughter yet this is his downfall as he believes Medea due to her stating she is concerned for her children and weeps for them.
- HIPPOLYTUS: Hip talks to Artemis almost like a lover, bringing her a woven garland. his possessive language suggests he has a unique claim to her which is his downfall (“me above all mortals can do this”) Aphrodite uses love as a weapon. Phaedra also shows destructive love to hate, as her lust for Hippolytus makes her physically ill (cannot lift her head). Her turned hatred leads to her framing Hippolytus killing them both. Chorus song shows how dangerous love is by telling the story of Aphrodite and the girl from Oechalia. Hippolytus love of Artemis leads to his hubris character flaw.
Ultimately love reunites father and son and lets Phaedra die nobly. Hippolytus loves his father so much that he goes to exile obaying him even tho he knows he is innocent. Forgives him in the end.
- OEDIPUS: love is shown as destructive as Oedipus loves Jocasta as a wife. Yet loving his children is the only consolidation Oedipus gets in the end. Oedipus is sympathetic in his love for his city.
- ANTIGONE: She is meant to be all loving and devoted to her husband, but instead shows this love to the dead. Ismene loves her sister and cannot live without her. Antigone does not consider her sister when saying she is the last of her family alive.
