Medea Essay Questions

Psychoanalysis of Medea
Title:Libido: Medea's Real Force
ABSTRACT
In this study, Medea by "Euripides" is approached from a psychoanalytic perspective. It focuses on
the theory of Freud that Libido plays an important role in the character building of an individual
and that actions of individuals are motivated and controlled by it. The motivation of Medea's
actions does not come from the outside circumstances but arise from her libido. All her actions are
analyzed to bring a somewhat clear picture of her psychology. She murders her children after a lot
of thinking because of the conflicts hatching in her mind. The movement of the unconscious of
Medea has been highlighted. Her libido transforms into ego when her libido object is taken from her.
She loses the...show more content...
(Patricia)
This transformation in the person of Medea occurs because she is in danger of losing her libido
object. She can go to all extremes to preserve this new feeling which she relishes now. Medea's
actions are now derived by this new force and she is unable to act reasonably. She is ready to make
the unwomanly move to kill her brother in order to get a safe passage for Jason and her.
She acts unreasonably and unwomanly because she is unable to control the newly felt feeling of
libido. This strange force of libido resides in her unconscious and inspires her actions. According to
Freud "...it (libido) manifests itself in irresistible attractions exerted by one sex upon the other and
that its aim is sexual union or at least such actions as would lead to that union." (Freud, The Basic
Writings of Sigmund Freud) It is no doubt her overpowering libido which takes control of her
consciousness and she acts as her libido dictates her. It is worth noting that all of her actions are
violent now. This is explained by Freud as,"... the libido is regularly and lawfully of a masculine
nature, whether in the man or in the woman." (Freud, The Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud) Its
instinctual manifestation is quite clear. Here we come across a young woman, Medea, who can do
anything to get hold of her libido
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

Medea
Is Medea Justified In Her Actions? Is the killing of anyone ever justified? Is the life of one
individual more important than another? In Euripides, Medea, Medea kills the princess of Corinth,
the king of Corinth, Creon, as well as her own children. Are her actions the actions of an insane,
distraught person or those of wise, foreign, barbaric woman trying to protect her children? Through
the story of Medea, Medea justifies the killing of others while several other characters portray the
injustice of her killings. Can a person show a justifiable reason to the killing of others or is the
killing of others justified under certain circumstances? In the work prologue, we discover Jason 's
quest to Colchis to obtain the Golden...show more content...
He even mentions that he didn 't leave her to betray her but he left her to support her and their
kids; to give them a life they could enjoy, "My motive was the best; so we 'd live well and not be
poor." He goes on to tell her that all women are the same; as long as they are satisfied at home, life
is well but "let there be some setback or disaster in the bedroom and suddenly you go against the
things

Medea Rhetorical Analysis
Medea after being betrayed by her husband Jason, she takes advantage of the sympathy of others to
carry out her agenda. As an outsider and "non–Greek" (326), she understands that the people of
Corinth do not reserve much sympathy for Medea herself. However, she recognizes there is a
possibility that people will take pity on her children, therefore she takes advantage of this knowledge
by using the children as bait. Medea persuades Creon and Jason to sympathize with her predicament
by acknowledging their decisions and actions, meanwhile using the children as a commoMedea's
Medea after being betrayed by her husband Jason, she takes advantage of the sympathy of others to
carry out her agenda. As an outsider and "non–Greek" (326), she understands...show more content...
Jason tries to reason with Medea by showing that his betrayal was for the sake of the children "so
[that] [they'll] be well off" (326) and be brought up "in a way that's worthy/ Of [his] family" (325).
Medea consumed in her grief is still unable to mediate with Jason's betrayal and is determined to
kill Jason's new bride by sending her a poisoned dress and tiara. Understanding that displaying
fury towards Jason will not accomplish her plans, she chooses to show that she "agrees with him
about his marriage" (332). Confessing to her own stubbornness and "bad temper" (334), she is
able deceitfully continue on to say she "realizes how wrong [she] [has] been" (335). Furthermore,
she uses the children to cumulate sympathy, similar to how she initially gained Creon's mercy. By
"[admitting] [she] was wrong" (335) and telling Jason she "supports [his] [plans]" of their
children "having royal brothers" (326), he becomes persuaded by Medea's thoughtfulness. After
Medea allows the children to "come out" (336) and embrace him, she asks whether his "new wife"
(336) could ask Creon to "let [the] [children] stay" (336). Medea takes advantage of knowing it
would be difficult for Creon to refuse a request from his own child to resume her agenda. After
spotlighting how concerned she is about the children, she recognizes that Jason

Medea And Jason
The play that we are discussing is called Medea that was written by the famous playwright
Euripides at the time 431 B.C.E and was also performed 431 BC.
This play was one of the Euripides most widely know plays and it was a big hit because of the tragic
storyline that it was expressing.
This play discussed the relationship between the respected and feared Medea and the father of her
children and proud warrior Jason and how over time the trust between both of them got tested and it
caused the viewers to truly consider that there is a lesson within the struggle that Medea and Jason
go through during this moment in their life. Also at the time of the first performance most people
only knew of two types of plays, comedy and tragedy and it caused an obvious sense of tragedy
because everything in the character Medea's life...show more content...
Personally, I think that the reason for these themes are to present a sense of awareness to the
mistreatment of people's emotions and how trying to manipulate people can lead to a huge
downfall. This statement is proven in the play by show that Medea was pushed so far that she
thought of resorting to killing her own children because she was so hurt by how the nation that
she once ruled were treating her and most importantly, she was hurt by her old husband Jason,
who was going to leave Medea, who once was the fair princess of her own country was now about
to get replaced by a younger and more beautiful princess that had shown deep interest in Jason. Also
around that time it's much easier for a man to have a woman listen to him and his problems while
the female constantly goes through problems that they can't express fully with their man, which can
cause a big sense of neglect instead of comfort and

Medea Essay
Title of Work: Medea
Country/Culture: Greek
Literary Period: Classical
Type of Literature (genre): Drama/Tragedy
Author: Euripides
Authorial information:
Euripides was born in 484 BC and took up drama at the young age of 25. At most drama
competitions, however his plays came in last place until he was about 45 or 50 years old. In his
entire life, he wrote 92 plays of which only five received first place awards at competition. Euripides
despised women. He had been married twice to unfaithful women and had three sons. This hate of
women is shown in his work of Medea.
Author's unique style:
Euripides' characterization of women is considered unique in the play Medea because the tragic
Hero/ine – in this case Jason and Medea in each one's...show more content...
Jason obviously is not caring about his wife who actually killed to be with him. He does however
still love his children. His flaw of apathy or the fact that he is not perseverant causes his downfall
when Medea has his wife (the princess) murdered as well as his children. This causes Jason to be
extremely disturbed – but it is deserved.
King Aegeus – The present King of Athens who is very sympathetic. He is friends with Medea
and understands her problem. He tells her that she may come to Athens and seek refuge if she
pleases. He has no children and asks if she will "provide him with some". In this sense,
he is a jolly fellow who assists friends in time of need. He also provides Medea with a place to go
and be protected after she goes on her killing rampage.
Nurse – The Nurse plays a somewhat minor role and yet influences the story of Medea. She is
employed by Medea to look after the children but the Nurse also gossips and provides advice and
assistance to Medea. She provides the audience with background information on the play and puts
pieces together of the "big picture." The Nurse begs Medea to not do anything rash
because of Jason but says that she knows Medea will so that foreshadows the though of tragedy in
the play. She also sympathizes Medea but as soon as Medea is not looking, the Nurse criticizes her
as being somewhat over reactive.

Medea's Argumentative Essay
Medea plans to kill her children instead of Jason. The main reason being that, by killing the
children, it will cause Jason eternal pain. Medea's position of citizenship also affects her emotional
state and actions. Medea is an immigrant. She speaks on how she tried to blend in to this "strange
Greek society" (7) and failed. I feel it is because of this failed effort that Medea finally understands
that she is a foreigner–and also unwelcomed–and has no home to return to. It is for this reason I
believe Medea continued with her plan. She had nothing to lose and had to leave Corinth
anyways. Medea appears to be a very outspoken woman. On page 7, Medea expresses her opinions of
the women of her time. Medea embodies the voice of women. She makes it sound...show more
content...
He said that by marrying the princess he would be able to afford a great life, not only for himself,
but also for Medea and their two children (16). Jason makes it clear that he does not feel tied down
to Medea since she is an immigrant. According to the explanatory notes on page 169, "a marriage
with a foreigner would have no legal validity." To account for his actions, he tells Medea that he
did his best to ask the King of Corinth, Creon, to allow Medea and the children to stay in Corinth.
However, Jason states that Medea's behavior was ill is why she was being driven out of Corinth.
Jason's intentions changed. He intended to provide for Medea and the children. Jason told Medea
he would help her make safe passage to a friend's house, and would give Medea money for her and
the children. Jason at first appears to be reasonable; however, he then appears to be insensitive due
to the remarks he says to Medea (15–16). As Jason begins telling Medea his intentions he starts off
reasonable and justifiable, yet as he finishes he becomes insensitive and unreasonable. Jason is
unaware of Medea's secret, which is the consequence of his

How Is Medea A Victim In Medea
In the Greek tragedy of Medea there are many twists and turns throughout the story causing many
to question who is more of the victim of the story. This essay will discuss who is the bigger victim
of the story. Medea was the victim because she killed her children even though she didn't want to &
she also when she was under the spell of Aphrodite killed her brother so her love was able to get
what he wanted and then disowned her family these things proved that Medea was the victim. When
Medea first met Jason she made the huge decision to kill her brother so Jason could get what he
wanted. After she had killed her brother her family disowned/kicked her out of there. When Medea
had first met Jason she fell madly in love with him due to Aphrodite...show more content...
At first she decides to spare her children since she didn't want to see them die and couldn't bear the
thought of having to kill them. A quote from Medea is "Oh my heart, don't don't do it! Oh miserable
heart. Let them be. Spare your children!"(Euripides 49 1057–1058). What the previous quote is
saying in Medea would like to spare her children from death since they didn't do anything wrong.
What it is also saying is that her heart is miserable most likely meaning that she is sad and
depressed. When she says "spare your children" she is telling herself don't kill your children they
don't deserve to have to die just because of what your husband has done to her. What that all
proves is that she really did not want to have to kill her kids. Once King Creon and the princess
pass she finally decides that she must kill her two sons. A quote from Medea supporting why she
had to kill her children is "For they must die In any case; and since they must, then I who gave birth
will kill them" (Euripides 55 1237–1239). What the quote is saying is no matter what her kids will
die. What it is also saying is that she is going to kill them. When Medea says "I who gave birth to
them will kill them" she is saying that since she gave birth to her sons she should be able to see
them die. What all of that proves is even though she might not want to kill them they will die no
matter what and she should be able to see them die which is why she kills them herself. What both
of those quotes prove is even though she kills them it was necessary since they would kill them to
punish them for the crimes against the king and princess that they helped commit even though they
didn't know it would kill the

Medea Nemesis
Medea is a dramatic presentation of a daring and smart, manipulative and cunning woman who
performs acts of wrath, with a twist. Euripides confers on his Medea impunity in this alternative,
unconventional rendition of the story. This approach immediately limits the ability of the
performance to rationally explain the workings of the world through the cycle of nemesis, but there
are some noteworthy scenes and implied lessons in Euripides' Medea that make the experience, on a
whole, worthwhile.
I appreciate that Euripides' Medea implicitly banks on the engine of nemesis to explain the rise and
fall of Jason's and Medea's lot respectively, for it offers the audience a rational explanation of the
pervasive instability of the world, to the extent...show more content...
By comparison, the lack of wise advisers to warn Jason against hubris is again significant. The play
gives no foreshadowing to Jason's hubris of taking the Princess of Corinth as his wife, proceeding
straight to highlight the extremity of the transgression as Medea expressively "cries out upon
Themis, goddess of prayers, and Zeus, acknowledged the protector of oaths among mortals"
(Euripides, 168–170). Medea authoritatively says that in Jason's act of hubris of firstly, breaking his
original marriage oath and secondly, treating his current wife (Medea) with cruelty to her face, he
acts against the gods, her and the whole human race (Euripides, 468–471). Her authority stems from
the widely–acknowledged importance and immutability of the oaths, since, as Medea rightfully
highlights, the gods Jason swore by during his marriage to Medea probably continue to rule and
men in society continue to live by the same standards of what is right (Euripides, 493–6). Medea's
conviction of Jason's act of transgression in defiance of laws and Gods that protect the sanctity of
the marriage paves the way for tisis. As the Nurse chants, "Certainly it will be by no trivial action
that my mistress will lay her anger to rest" (Euripides, 171–2), the audience is gripped by a feverish
sense of foreboding. All eyes watch

Euripides' Medea Essay
Euripides' Medea
Medea is the tragic tale of a woman scorned. It was written in
431 B.C. by the Greek playwright, Euripides. Eruipides was the first Greek poet to suffer the fate
of so many of the great modern writers: rejected by most of his contemporaries (he rarely won first
prize and was the favorite target for the scurrilous humor of the comic poets), he was universally
admired and revered by the Greeks of the centuries that followed his death('Norton Anthology';).
Euripides showed his interest in psychology in his many understanding portraits of women ('World
Book';). Euripides choice of women support characters such as the nurse and the chorus is imperative
to the magnification of
Medea's emotions. The very fact that...show more content...
'We women are the most unfortunate creatures.';
(Medea 229)
'A man, when he's tired of the company in his home,
Goes out of the house and puts an end to his boredom
And turns to a friend or companion of his own age.
But we are forced to keep our eyes on one alone.';
(Medea 242–245) Medea's tears soon dry with the thoughts of revenge. After
Kreon grants her one last day before exhile, Medea uses her cleverness to produce plots of revenge.
'... he has given me this one day
To stay here, and in this I will make dead bodies
Of three of my enemies, ––father, the girl and my husband.';(Medea 369–379)
Medea never lets societies norms of a female discourage her from doing the justice she sees fit.
Weak and submissive are not something she's going to settle for. Medea talking about herself... 'You
have the skill. What is more, you were born a woman,
And women, thought most helpless in doing good deeds,
Are of every evil the cleverest of contrivers.';
(Medea 404–406)
Her rage empowers her with liberation and free thought that far surpasses the women of her time.
Although the Chorus never adds to Medea's frenzy directly, they add fuel to the fire of the audience
and evokes a

Medea
Title of work– Medea
Country/Culture– Greek
Literary Period– Classical
Type of literature (genre)– Drama/Tragedy
Author–...show more content...
Though many events do take place in other regions of the city, we only obtain knowledge of them
through hearsay. Euripedes used this tool in theaters for the audience to visualize the actions instead
of cheapening the experience with the few special affects available to them.
Theme– Medea had one obvious theme; hell hath no fury like that of a woman's scorn. It is
apparent from the opening statement of the Nurse that Medea is a very heartless towards anyone
who has crossed her. Once Jason's betrayal is exposed to Medea, she immediately starts to thinks of
in a murderous mentality toward Jason. She goes through any means necessary to hurt Jason.
Characters– Medea was born under king Aetees of Colchis as a witch–princess. As a youth she met
Jason the Argonaut and fell instantly in love, as was planned by the gods. This drove her to betray
her family and homeland of Colchis by aiding Jason in the retrieval of the Golden Fleece. After this
she was forced to leave with Jason, who she later wed. After many years though, Jason fell for
another and crossed Medea in a way no one should. This led Medea to thirst for a revenge far more
devious then many can imagine. She planned to kill her to children and Jason's new found love.
After succeeding in the destruction of Jason's whole point in existence she fled in a dragon drawn
chariot to Athens where she has been promised refuge.
The Nurse has been the

Argumentative Essay On Medea
Commonly considered one of Euripides greatest pieces, Medea is an insightful depiction of how a
woman's love for her husband, churns into a gruesome revenge scheme against him. This tragedy
illustrates a tale of a woman who challenges Greek societal norms. In the era that the story takes
place; women are often seen in submissive roles. However, the play's main character, Medea,
challenges their customs through her actions against the Kingdom of Corinth and Jason.
When Medea's husband, Jason, plans to marry Glauce, a daughter of King Creon, for wealth and
power over the kingdom, Medea becomes angry with Jason for breaking their vows of eternal love.
She decides the best way to hurt Jason was by murdering his bride–to–be and their own two children.
...show more content...
There are several points in the play where Medea could have been stopped. For instance, in the
opening scene when the Nurse lectures Medea, she should have suggested for Medea to murder
her husband and immediately flee the land. At that point, the Nurse see's Medea's children's lives
at risk and has the opportunity to save them by reverting the vengeful act onto the perpetrator and
not innocent children. However, the Nurse was unable to stop her at that time since she only had
a "feeling" and no confirmation on Medea's exact scheme. Another time Medea could have been
stopped is when she was making a speech to the Chorus on her revenge against Jason and the
Kingdom of Corinth. If they organized as a group, they could have turned Medea into the
Kingdom's military authority's before she acted, thus, saving everyone in the play's life.
Unfortunately, this was not accomplished because Medea persuaded the Chorus to swear not to
speak on or act against her plan. Lastly, when Aegeus, the King of Athens, finds Medea on his
return to Athens, after hearing how Jason has wronged her, he could have persuaded her not to
commit murder and to flee to Athens with him a long with her children. This would stop Medea
from committing the murders by removing her from the country, including her children, which
would prevent them from her fear of slavery or execution. If I were in the play, I would have tried to
intercept the delivery of the diadem and robe by

English Medea Essay
"It is impossible to take sides at the end of the play; both Medea and Jason are equally guilty. Is it
possible to feel sympathy for either of them?"
Medea is the tragic story of a woman desperate for revenge upon her husband, after he betrayed her
for another woman's bed. It was written by Euripides, a Greek playwright, in 431 B.C. Throughout
the play each character shows us their inconsistent and contradicting personalities, in particular, Jason
and Medea. The play opens with the Nurse expressing her anxiety about Jason betraying and leaving
Medea for another, wealthier, woman. Our initial reaction is to feel empathetic towards Medea, who
has been abandoned so conveniently. But towards the end of the play, when Medea takes revenge on
...show more content...
This leads us to feel sympathetic for Medea.
There are also parts in the play where one may begin to have an understanding of Jason's motives.
In Jason's first argumentative speech to Medea, he claims that money, possessions and social
status is of no importance to him. He declares that his choice to marry the royal Glauce is of good
intention, not merely because he is bored with Medea's bed. Later, when Medea begs Jason to
forgive her for her foolishness, he shows kindness and understanding towards her. After all that
Medea said about him and his new wife–to–be, Glauce, he states that he is still willing to provide
Medea and their sons with anything they may need. Medea pleads for Jason to convince Creon to
let their sons stay in Corinth and Jason agrees to try to convince both Creon and Glauce to allow
the boys to stay. Jason is still compassionate, showing at least some loyalty to Medea and his
family. At the very end of the play, after Medea has killed Glauce, Creon and their two sons, Jason
admits that she has 'destroyed' him. Jason is completely shattered; everything has been ripped away
from him. It's also unfair when Medea refuses to let Jason bury and mourn the bodies of their sons.
Some may feel it is impossible to feel no sympathy for him.
Medea has sacrificed everything for Jason, yet he shows no gratitude. She has been abandoned
without a home, seen as an outsider from a

Medea Reflection
The common event made me think differently of Medea. This was through having different actors
/actresses reading the same part of the play where Medea speaks to Jason. By having different
actors/actresses reading the same scene from Medea, it allowed me to see what the purpose of the
play was as well as the personal lesson it taught me. The purpose of this play was to see the
emotions of Medea and to validate her reason for murdering her two kids. The personal lesson it
taught me was to stick up for yourself no matter how bad your situation/circumstance is. Also, this
presentation allowed me to also appreciate the character Medea. Initially, I thought Medea was evil,
strange, and cold–hearted,but after the common event, I learned that Medea

Medea Dilemma Analysis
Euripides, an influential dramatist in Greek culture is celebrated for his famous tragedies which
examine the shadier side of human nature. Many of Euripides's plays present the audience with a
dilemma. As one reviews the passages and unfolding story, the message causes the reader to dig
deep and evaluate personal morals because the play is intended to be a tragic moral dilemma. In the
play Medea, Euripides gives his audience many different situations to consider. One specific
dilemma causes the reader to question Medea's state of mind. Situations arise whereupon the reader
contemplates whether Medea acted out of reckless rage or with rational, well thought–out plans. At
the onset of the play, the reader is introduced to the first character, the nurse. A concerned
monologue ensues and the nurse bewails the dire situation of her mistress, Medea. In this
monologue, one hears, through the tormented ravings of the nurse, how furious and upset Medea
has been acting. The nurse is even fearful for the safety of Medea's children because of Medea's
actions. This point of view aids the reader in examining how others in Medea's life view her thus
giving the audience an initial view of Medea through another character's lens. Soon after the nurse's
grief–stricken rantings, Medea is introduced: "Aiai. / I have suffered in my wretchedness, suffered
woes which call for great laments. O accursed children of a hateful mother, may you die with your
father, may the whole house fall in ruin" (Euripides 4). From these first few lines, one could pose
the unthinkable question, "Who could hurt their own children"? Most likely, the average man and
woman care for and are anxious for the safety of their children. If Medea is considering harming her
children, the reader could question the clarity of her conscience. The natural man's instinct could
trigger at this point and a question could be established. "How could a mother speak these dark
words about her own offspring?" One could begin to rationalize the situation and establish a
summary of Medea's emotional outburst. Hopefully, a motherly instinct will overpower the rantings
of flaunted anger and Medea will remember the love for her children. Medea herself says in this line

Medea Research Paper
A Teenager's Reaction to a Play that is Centuries Old I had the privilege of going to see Medea by
Euripides at the Long Center in Austin on February 17. Euripides plays often feature the victims
of society. In Medea he focused on how the main character, a woman, named Medea, was
victimized by her society. A combination of lighting, dancers and music really helped make the
experience for me. The production of Medea, perfectly captured the struggle Medea went through
to ensure she got her revenge on her husband Jason. After Jason left Medea for a princess, she was
determined to do whatever it took to get her revenge on him, no matter the cost. Going into Medea,
I didn't know what to expect. I had been to a musical before, but not a play. Prior to seeing the play,
I read and annotated the play, marking certain places that didn't make sense to me, or parts that I
wanted to see how the actors portrayed. I researched the gods mentioned in the exposition, and the
history of Euripides. I even watched other people's interpretation of...show more content...
During the entire play, I felt as if I was in Ancient Greece. The actors portrayed the characters
exactly as I pictured them when I read the play on my own. From my point of view, Medea is fine
art. The play focuses on her struggle with revenge and betrayal, there isn't one clear cut lesson to be
learned. It is definitely a play that you go and see to distract yourself from your life, and help you
realize how much worse you could have it. Going to see Medea was definitely a good use of my
time. I got to experience a play, I felt like I was in ancient Greece and it forced me to examine
myself and ask myself what length would I go to in order to get revenge? All in all , going to see
Medea at the Long Center was a fantastic experience and I am very glad I got to partake in

Medea Essay
Susan Smith murdered her own two children in 1994. Kathleen Folbigg killed her only child in
1998. Caro Socorro killed her three children in 1999. And in 431 B.C. the fictional character, Medea,
murderedmurdured her own two sons. When hearing about these extreme atrocities we are repulsed.
What sane mother could murder her own children? But thats just the point isn't it, no sane mother
would kill her own young. No, each of these women had underlying psychological issues that led to
them committing these unnatural, morally wrong acts. Susan was rejected by her lover, Kathleen's
father had brutally murdered her mother, Caro was a victim of a failed marital relationship, whilst in
Euripides play, Medea was not only rejected and a victim of a...show more content...
The shocking addition of having a mother slaughter her own children makes a dark story even
darker, it deepens the revenge and shocks the moral of the audience. Euripides manipulates the
audience through traditional Greek play techniques to increase the intensity of the revenge, by
playing with our thoughts and inviting his audience to question the way their society lives. Through
the Chorus of Corinthian women Euripides directs the audiences view of Medea. Throughout the
play the Chorus voices their opinion, influencing the audience to their point. Originally the Chorus
celebrates Medea's desire for revenge, chanting "To punish Jason will be just" (line 267, p. 25), the
audience agrees with the Chorus, Jason should be punished. Once the Chorus become aware of her
intentions they turn against her, attempting to make her see reason and in the final ode they
condemn her while acknowledging that her actions are the manifestation of a greater power and
thereby re enforce Euripides tragic theme. The Chorus's 5 stasimons and short interventions during
the play direct the audience's thoughts and opinions. As a tragic heroine Medea is a creation
unique to Euripides, the psychological study of a woman entirely consumed by love and hate. He
reminds us that her love for Jason resulted in the betrayal of her father, the murder of her brother
and the murder of Pelias. Rejected, mocked and betrayed, her pride and hatred of Jason cause the
destruction

Medea As A Good Moral Life
"Medea" Medea actions in her life can be used as lessons for today 's society. The story has a
simple theme about an unfaithful husband and what a spurned woman does to get revenge on her
cheating husband. Mortality is in control. Was Medea 's reaction to Jason 's decisions morally and
theologically correct? The ancient Greek ethos is concerned of what constitutes living a good moral
life. This question cannot be separated from how one ought to act. The most important of these
virtues is what one did in their life and how they lived one's life. Is what Medea does in line with
what the Greek societal morals or their religious beliefs? Or a better question is: Was Jason's
action morally correct, which led to Medea's morally incorrectness? How was this any different
in the eyes of the Christian God? Euripides' Medea is a Greek story about Medea, a barbaric
woman who was married to Jason with children. They lived in Corinth. "Medea was an obedient
wife and was loved by the people of Corinth". (Euripides 18) Medea was an outsider from another
country that loved Jason. Jason was concerned about his kingdom, so he explains that he couldn't
pass up the opportunity to marry a royal princess, as Medea is only a barbarian woman, but hopes to
someday join the two families and keep Medea as his mistress. "Jason went and married Glauke, the
daughter of the Creon King". (Euripides 18) "Jason betrayed Medea". (Euripides 18) Medea was
insulted by his betrayal. Her view

Essay About Medea
If you saw something, would you say something? This is the questions posed by the Bullis players,
in there production of Medea, which I had the honor of seeing as a critic for Cappies on October
28th 2017. Medea is a show about love, loss and most of all murder. It was originally writeen in 431
BC by Euripides in ancient Greece. The show was repopularized in in the late 1940s and started on
broadway in 1947.
The show takes place a good few years after the events of the quest for the Golden Fleece, which
is where Medea (Played by Tamia Haskins) and Jason (played by William Evans) first met. Since
than they had two sons and all was happy for a brief time. Medea started to go mad, and eventually
Jason leves her to marry the princess of Corinth.This...show more content...
While theyre was the occasional stumbling over words, or speaking to fast, overall the show was
very good and most flaws with the show were not the faults of the actors, but instead the fault of the
ancient script.
The leading actress who played Medea, Tamia Haskins, was one of the best preformers in the
show. Haskins was very expressive and clearely enunciated and projected her words. She played
the part of a mad woman very well by showing powerful emotions and expressions, and even cried
on cue! Her supporting actress Sydney Smith (playing The Nurse) was just as good as Medea. She
never once forgot her lines and had amazing stage presence.
At the end of the play Bullis added on a epilogue where the ensemble and cast broke the fourth
wall and spoke to us as an audience. They spoke of how anyone of them could have seen how this
was going to end but didnt stop it anyway. Wheteher it was fear, or anger,none of the characters
spoke up, adding an amazing lessen to the play that if you see something, say something.Bullis
School made good work of a very diffucult show in a very limited amount of

Medea the Feminist Essay
The role of women in Greek society is a major theme in Euripides' Medea. In ancient Greek society,
women are frail and submissive according to men, and their social status is considered very inferior.
Feminism is the theory of men being treated differently than women and the male dominance over
women in society. Because of Jason's betrayal of Medea, she is a challenge to the traditional views of
ancient Greek society based on her actions. She wonders about the differences between the treatment
of men and women and the active roles they play in society, such as the woman's role to bear and
nurture children. Medea ignores those feminine qualities and questions Jason's sexist ideals. She
internally struggles between self independence and...show more content...
She made the sacrifices without regrets because she loved Jason. But after finding out about the
marriage to the King's daughter, she has much regret, which was forbidden in Ancient Greek culture.
Medea is also comparing women, who are virtually servants, to their husbands who have freedom.
She is also comparing the chauvinistic views of men with men being able to have other friends
while women are to keep their eyes only on their husband and stay at home. Jason displayed his
chauvinistic qualities in the following monologue:
But you women have got into such a state of mind
That, if your life at night is good, you think you have
Everything; but, if in that quarter things go wrong,
You will consider your best and truest interest most hateful.
It would have been better far for men
To have got their children in some other way, and women
Not to have existed. Then life would have been good. (Euripides, 702) Jason boldly conveys his,
and perhaps society's, views of sex as being for reasons of procreation only and that men only
engage in this activity for the purposes of having children, that there is no pleasure in the act at all.
His desire is that men can avoid the act if there was some other way to have children. As Euripides
uses Jason's chauvinistic ways in this excerpt, the audience is developing pity and compassion for
Medea and feminism is supported.
Characteristic

Medea's Role Of Women In Ancient Greece
Amongst Euripides' most famous plays, Medea went against the audience's expectations at his
time. Indeed, the main character of the play is Medea, a strong independent female who neglected
moral and . She was therefore in all ways different to how women were perceived in Ancient Greece.
This essay will explore how Euripides' controversial characters demonstrate that his views were
ahead of his time.
Ancient Greek society was ahead of its time politically speaking. Indeed they iniciated the concept
of democracy. Of course, this democracy did not include everyone in Greece; male citizens
dominated society and had full legal status. They were divided in three classes depending on
wealth. Females on the other hand had few rights, they were obliged to stay at home and bear
children. Once married to a man chosen by their father, women were under the authority of their
husband. Divorce were tolerated under three conditions : Repudation by the husband, he did not
need justification and had to return the dowry; the wife could leave the family home but it would
bring shame on her; finaly the bride's father...show more content...
Its main characters are women each with differently complex personnalities. Hecabe was the queen
of Troja, her situation makes her a tragic character and atracts pity. On the other hand, her daughter
the princess Cassandra is dedicated to the gods; she bears the curse of having the ability if foresight
yet never being trusted, thrown onto her by the god Apollo. Finaly Hecabe's daughter–in–law
Andromache, proud and noble. The protagonists being so different, they each will have a different
approach to the play's events. Furthermore Menelaus, one of the play's two male characters, is
considered weak in contrast with the strong female personnalities present. The trojan women also
question the god's power and men dependence on them. The gods in the play are depicted as flawed,
therefore assimilated with simple

Medea Essay Questions

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from Best Online Paper Writing Service

More from Best Online Paper Writing Service (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Medea Essay Questions