Medea (Characters, themes, symbols etc.)

Question 1

Medea

Answer 1

• Protagonist of the play
• from the Colchis, an island in the Black Sea
• ## sorceress and a princess

Question 2

Jason

Answer 2

• Former leader of Argonauts
• abandons wife Medea to marry the princess Glauce in order to purther his position in the city

Question 3

Glauce

Answer 3

• Daughter of Creon the king
• young and beautiful
• dies from Medea’s gift (crown and dress)

Question 4

Creon

Answer 4

• King of Corinth
• Father of Glauce
• Banishes Medea out of fear of vengeance
• dies with his daughter from Medea’s gift (crown and dress)

Question 5

Corinth

Answer 5

City in Greece

Question 6

Aegeus

Answer 6

• King of Athens
• ## Offers Medea and her children sanctuary in his home city if they can make it there safely

Question 7

The Chorus

Answer 7

Composed of the women of Corinth, the chorus chiefly serves as a commentator to the action, although it occasionally engages directly in the dialogue.

Question 8

The position of women

Answer 8

Euripides, known for his fascination with women and the complexities of gender in ancient Greece, presents a sophisticated portrayal of gender dynamics in his works. In “Medea,” he highlights the injustices faced by women, particularly through Medea’s powerful opening speech, which eloquently expresses the plight of women in Greek society. Euripides acknowledges that women’s subordination is deeply ingrained in the social order of Greece, where injustice is inherent.

However, while Euripides exposes societal hypocrisies and challenges the status quo, he does not portray Medea as a straightforward feminist role model. Instead, he presents flawed and complex female characters who have been shaped by their suffering. “Medea” depicts a struggle between the sexes where all characters emerge scarred, rather than offering a narrative of female liberation.

Question 8

Revenge

Answer 8

The seductive appeal of revenge is part of the play’s enduring popularity. Medea is willing to sacrifice everything to make her revenge perfect. She murders her own children, paradoxically, to protect them from the counter-revenge of her enemies; she also kills them to hurt Jason, although in slaying them she is dooming herself to a life of remorse and grief. But part of Medea’s appeal is its power as a revenge fantasy; just like Medea, all have at one time or another been beset by enemies whose power is institutionally protected and unfair. And like Medea, we have fantasized about the satisfaction of a perfect revenge. Like the Chorus, we watch Medea with a mixture of horror and excitement.