Medea

Where does the Nurse wish the Argo had never visited?

Colchis

Where is Colchis and what does it signify for the Greeks?

The East; barbarity (i.e. the edge of the known world)

How is Medea characterised by the Nurse, in terms of her love for Jason, in the opening speech of the play?

Mad with love

What did Medea persuade Pelias' daughters to do, according to the Nurse?

Kill their own father

What does thenurse say is the saving thing in marraige

• a wifes obedience to her husband
  - Medea was “all obedience” to Jason

arguably how does the Nurse present Jason

• negativley
  - “betrayed his own sons and my mistress (Medea)
  - broke an oath
  - Jason’s wickedness
  - “he is guilty”
  - Medea right to demand justice ?

How does the nurse build tension?

• hints at danger
  - “I am afraid something dreadful is forming in her mind”
  - “her grief is just born”
  - emotional outburst incoming

Why is Creons plans to banish her so dangerous?

• no man to provide for her, no protection

• She’s in a foreign land → no polis can protect her

how does the nurse describe Medea’s emotions

“deep in passions and unrelenting”
- opposite of sophrosune → giving into emotion

what does the nurse say about the mind of a queen?

• “the mind of a queen is a thing to fear”
  -athenians hate monarchy and tyranny (proud of theeir democracy)

• “i am sick with fear.. of what may happen”

who makes up the chorus?

Corinthian women

which goddess’ does Medea appeal to?

• Themis
  - justice and divine order

• Artemis
  - protector of girls, virginal (not consumed with lust)

What contrasting similes do the chorus use to describe Medea?

• “glares like a bull, or a lioness guarding her cubs”
  - predator vs protector
  - shows Medeas internal conflicting emotions and chaos

what does Medea acknowledge about herself to the chorus?

• she’s a stranger

• “of course a stranger must conform…. I accept my place”
  - are these her true feelings?

• “Medea is the ultimate foreigner” - MacCallum-Barry

How does Medea understand, but disagree with Greek marraige customs?

• understands the womens inferior position to men
  - “we must accpet him as possessor of our bodies”

• Views marriage as slavery
  - “our husband doesn’t struggle under the marriage yoke”
  - not a proper athenian persepctive

“i’d rather stand…”

“ 3 times in the front line than bear one child”

• ultimate masculine approach

• rejects Athenian role for women

“I was taken…

“as plunder from a land at the earths edge”

• not her choice to leave
  - is she manipulating and lying to get the Corinth women on side?

• highlights barbarity → from far east

How does Creon feel about Medea?

• “I fear you”
  - “you’re a clever woman, skilled in many evil arts”

“ I am in no position-

“- A woman- to wrong a king”

understanding of a womans inferior social standing
- weaponising this to gain sympathy?

How doesMedea show she understands Greek values

• “you had every right to do as you have done”
  - understands a fathers role

• “I kneel to you”
  - supplication → weaponising Greek customs

What are Medea’s thoughts when plotting revenge?

• “I have in mind so many paths to death for them”
  - “should i set fire to the house and burn the bridal chamber?”
  - destruction of oikos
  - “Drive a sharp knife through their guts”

Why does Medea choose poison?

• If shes caught going into the house or in the act and dies, her enemies will “have the last laugh”
  - loss of honour
  - homeric hero?

Which goddess does Medea venerate “above all divinities”

• Hecate
  - magic

How is a change to natural order depicted?

• “rivers flow uphill”

• “tradition, order, all things are reversed

How does Medea insult Jason?

• “You filthy coward, if i knew a worse name for such unmanliness i’d use it”
  - strips away masculinity → huge insult for a man, especially a hero

Medea’s speech to Jason about their past:

• she saved his life
  - service to him

• she was the reason he got the golden fleece

• decieved her father for him, leaving her home
  - acknowledges problems caused to oikos

• Had Pelias killed
  - destroyed oikos and polis

• gave him 2 sons
  - proper Athenian duty

What does Jason say drove Medea to save him

“passion”
- lust and desire was her motivator

What does Jason say Medea got in return?

• “you got far more than you gave”
  - “youoleft a barbarous land to become a resident of Hellas”
  - “you have known justice.. where force yeilds to law

• Has she got these? she is a victim of lack of justice

Problem with Jason saying she is famous

• athenian women were not supposed to be famous
  - less known the better

How would Athenians have viewed Jason and Glauce’s marraige?

• acceptable → political move

who enters and was decieved by Medea?

Aegeus → Athenian king

What had Aegeus asked the oracle of Delphi

• for chidlren

What could Aegeus deception be portraying?

• mockery of kings?
  - Athenian auidence would not have cared or respected monarchy
  - Aegues is unable to interpret the message from the oracle → thick?

What does Aegeus think of Jason’s behaviour?

"such a thing is shameful”

what does Medea ask of Aegeus?

• to allow her to come to Athens

• she supplicates him, begging him to take pity on her

• makes him swear on oath
  - again weponising Greek customs and values for her own, evil gain

“i can endure guilt.. but

“the laughter of my enemies i cann’t endure”
- masculine, heoric (concerned with glory and reputation)

“let no one thik of me as…

“ Humble or weak or passive”

• rejects key features of an athenian woman

how does Medea manipluate Jason?

• tells him what he wants to hear
  - “i saw my foolishness”
  - “i think you are wise to gain this new alliance”
  - “but women -tears come naturally to us”
  - understands what men think of women

what suggests Medea loves her children and understands her role ?

• “you motherless, i miserable”

• “i shall never see your brides, adorn your bridal beds”
  - mothers role

• “ parted from you my life will be all pain and anguish”

What conflict does she face about going forward with her plan?

• “my courage is gone… i can’t do it”

• “ what is the mattter with me? are my eneimies to laugh at me”

places reputation and honour above children

how is Galuce seen to be a good wife?

• only had eyes for Jason
  -how Athenian women should be

How is Galuce youth shown

• “ jason began to soothe her sulkiness girlish temper”

• got excited over presents

• Doesn’t at all suspect Medea
  - lacks cunning and intellegence → as a good Athenian girl should

How does the messenger keep refering to Jason?

• “Your husband”
  - had already stated all the servants felt sorry for how Medea had been treated

how does one feel sympathy for Creon

• vivid depiction of greif
  - sobbed and took her in his arms

• he had made an appropriate politcial move → probs for the good of the polis

• Glauce was his only child → he needed to secure linage
  - Oikos destroyed

What does the Chorus say the auidece will see?

“The will of heaven, blow after blow, bring down on Jason justice and calamity”
- Was medea in the right → enacting the will of the gods?

How does Medea kill her children

• off stage

• stabs them
  - masculine way to do it
  - seems unnecissarily cruel

Significance of Medea killing her children

• Opposite of what women should do
  - bring life Vs take life

• Destruction of Oikos

• hurts Jason
  - lost wife and kids → nothing left

How does Medea leave Cornith

• in a chariot given to her by the sun god
  - signal to divine heretige
  - Gods approved of her actions

What does Jason call Medea when calling out to Zeus

• “This savage beast”
  - monsterous