Classical Literature - Medea Flashcards
(19 cards)
What event does the Nurse lament at the beginning of the play?
The day Jason sought the Golden Fleece, bringing Medea to Greece
This sets the stage for Medea’s tragic circumstances and her love for Jason.
How does Medea feel about Jason’s betrayal?
Devastated and isolated, feeling dishonored by her husband
Medea recalls the sacrifices she made for Jason, including betraying her own family.
What does Creon fear that leads him to banish Medea?
Medea’s potential wrath toward his daughter Glauce
Creon is concerned about Medea’s emotional state and her capability for revenge.
What does Medea vow to do during the reprieve granted by Creon?
Exact revenge by killing three of her enemies
She aims to use the extra day to plan her actions against Jason and Glauce.
What does Medea offer Aegeus in exchange for sanctuary?
Magical aid to help him have children
Aegeus is the king of Athens, and this agreement ensures Medea has a safe refuge.
What does Medea plan to use to kill Glauce?
Poisoned gifts, specifically a robe and crown
She intends to use these gifts to enact her revenge on Jason’s new bride.
What happens when Glauce accepts Medea’s gifts?
She dies along with her father, Creon, after being poisoned
The gifts ignite, leading to a gruesome death.
What does the Chorus express regarding Medea’s intentions?
They lament the horror of a mother killing her children
The Chorus represents the moral voice questioning Medea’s actions.
What internal conflict does Medea face before killing her children?
Battling maternal love against her thirst for vengeance
This highlights the complexity of her emotions and motivations.
What does Medea do offstage that horrifies the Chorus?
She murders her own children
The act of infanticide is a pivotal and tragic moment in the play.
How does Jason react when he confronts Medea after the deaths?
He is devastated by the loss of his new bride and their children
This confrontation underscores the tragedy of the situation for both characters.
What does Medea use to escape after confronting Jason?
A chariot provided by the Sun god
This signifies her connection to divine powers and her eventual departure from the scene.
What prophecy does Medea leave with Jason?
He will die ignobly, struck by a falling relic of the Argo
This serves as a bitter conclusion to their relationship and foreshadows Jason’s fate.
What are the interpretations of this phrase: “I am afraid she’s dreaming up some dreadful plan. She is dangerous”
One interpretation of this line is that Medea’s defiance makes her a symbol of female empowerment. Her refusal to be cast aside without consequence challenges patriarchal norms. The word “dangerous” conveys the disruptive power of her resistance, as she dares to strike back in a society where women were expected to be compliant. However, a contrasting interpretation is that Medea’s dangerousness signals her descent into violent madness. Rather than embodying resistance as a form of liberation, her defiance becomes monstrous. In this reading, Euripides critiques the destructive potential of unrestrained female rage, portraying Medea as a tragic figure whose rebellion consumes her humanity. This ambiguity complicates her portrayal—she is both victim and perpetrator, resisting oppression but also becoming a cautionary symbol of vengeance.
What are the interpretations of this quote: “I am alone and stateless, dishonoured by my husband: plundered from a barbarian land”
One reading of this line is that Medea’s plight highlights the vulnerability of foreign women in patriarchal societies. The word “plundered” evokes the imagery of war spoils, suggesting that Medea feels dehumanized and discarded by Jason, who has used her for personal gain and then abandoned her. This interpretation frames her defiance as a protest against both gender and racial oppression. However, an alternative reading is that Medea’s bitterness reveals her own complicity in her suffering. She willingly abandoned her homeland and betrayed her family for Jason’s love, only to be discarded. In this sense, her lament reflects a tragic self-awareness—her rage is not only directed at Jason but also at herself, making her defiance as much self-destructive as it is rebellious. This duality enhances the complexity of Medea’s character: she is both a woman resisting oppression, and one consumed by self-loathing and regret.
What are the interpretations of this quote: “Do not weaken; have no thoughts of children, that you loved them”
One interpretation is that this line reflects Medea’s unwavering commitment to vengeance. Her command to herself not to “weaken” reveals her willingness to suppress maternal instincts in favour of retributive justice. By prioritizing revenge over motherhood, she defiantly rejects the gendered expectation of selfless maternal love. However, a conflicting interpretation is that this line reveals Medea’s internal conflict. The phrase “that you loved them” implies that she still feels tenderness for her children, making the crime all the more tragic. In this reading, Medea’s infanticide is not a cold act of defiance but a harrowing sacrifice, driven by self-loathing and emotional torment. Her resistance to motherhood, then, becomes an act of personal self-destruction, rather than a liberated rejection of maternal roles.
What are the interpretations of this quote: “Miserable woman, you must be made of stone or iron, to kill the fruit of your own womb”.
One interpretation of this line is that the Chorus condemns Medea as unnatural and inhuman. The metaphor of being “made of stone or iron” dehumanizes her, suggesting that by committing infanticide, she has severed all emotional ties, becoming a cold, unfeeling monster. This view reinforces the perception of Medea as a figure of terrifying rebellion, whose defiance makes her monstrous in the eyes of society. However, another interpretation is that the Chorus’s words reflect the rigid gender expectations of their time. Their disbelief that a woman could commit such an act reveals the societal conviction that women are naturally nurturing. Medea’s crime, while horrific, could be seen as a tragic challenge to this belief—a defiant rejection of the notion that motherhood must define a woman’s identity. In this sense, Medea’s crime, while appalling, becomes a radical act of self-assertion in a world that reduces women to their maternal roles.
What are the interpretations of this quote: “If you come to my home… you shall have sanctuary”
One interpretation of this line is that Medea’s plea reveals her cunning ability to weaponize male condescension. By feigning vulnerability, she secures a place of refuge, using the patriarchal assumption of female frailty to her advantage. However, an alternative interpretation is that Medea’s plea reflects genuine vulnerability. She is stateless and desperate, and her appeal to Aegeus may reflect a rare moment of sincerity. In this reading, Medea’s resistance is not entirely defined by deception—her plea for sanctuary reveals a fragile, human need for safety in a world that has turned against her.
What are the interpretations of this phrase: “Just one day… in which three of my enemies I’ll send to their death”
One interpretation of this line is that Medea’s cunning highlights her strategic brilliance. Her ability to perform feminine docility while secretly plotting destruction reveals her mastery of manipulation. This subversive use of gendered expectations becomes her weapon, making her resistance all the more powerful. However, another interpretation is that her deceit reflects her moral decay. The phrase “three of my enemies” reveals her indiscriminate vengeance, grouping her innocent children with her adult enemies. This interpretation portrays Medea’s defiance not as a calculated rebellion but as a descent into merciless cruelty, where even her own children become collateral damage in her quest for retribution.
