Euripides’s ancient Greek tragedy Medea renowned itself as a play that truly dwells into the depths of human actions and psychology. It provides the reader with an insight into the lustful and often abusive nature of men as well as the hardships faced by women during those times. Ultimately, both the adaptation of Medea by Robinson Jeffers and the translation by Diane Svarlien revolve around a central theme: Jason abandons Medea for another woman. After being abandoned, Medea seeks what she believes to be a necessary comeuppance. Although the theme of each play remains the same, the characters themselves are depicted entirely different. The differences between the characters, especially Medea and Jason, provide the audience with a new and refreshing…
Medea is without a doubt one of the most powerful women in literature, redefining femininity in a male-dominated environment, becoming a symbol of passionate revenge in history. Author Euripides creates interchangeable roles as a relentless heroine and inversely as an immoral antagonist within Medea, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact source of her expansive power; regardless we see Medea’s protagonist, time and time again, rise above her oppressors in a display of her mighty influence…
the household, decision maker, and money maker. They have a bigger role compared to women, who are entitled to look after the house and children. The men in Medea are not any different. Men are given more rights despite hurting their loved ones, due to the superiority they have over women and children. This superiority allows them to make choices for their family no matter the consequences. Jason abused of his rights, which is why he created his own downfall. He underestimated a woman’s…
Originally performed in the festival of Dionysia in 431 BC, Euripides' tragedy Medea may have been controversial to the predominantly male audience of the time. Subverting Athenian cultural norms of the era by presenting a female perspective, Medea exposes not only the flaws in individuals but also within society. In this play there is an imbalance of passion and logic, which has dire consequences for an individual and an even “greater ruin” for humanity and society at large. Medea is…
Medea is portrayed as a heroine in Euripides play Medea. In today’s world Medea would hardly be considered a heroine. She may be called evil, cunning, a murderer, or even crazy. However in ancient Greek methodically and literature the hero/heroine normally possessed a sense of being out of the ordinary, had a strong purpose, and did not have to be a particularly good person or the actual hero to make them one. The hero had a tragic flaw. I believe that Medea meets the standards of a heroine in…
In Euripides play, Medea, Medea struggles internally of whether she should kill her children or not before finally coming to a decision. After the death of the king and the princess, Medea is faced with the choice between killing her own children or sparing them. She continually tells herself that she can save them and run to Athens for safety. However, that would mean leaving them in Corinth in the hands of the enemies. In her mind, if the kids were to die, she wanted it done by her own hands.…
Also she enforces her superiority of a Greek who is very confident, killing the two male children was act of killing the wall that entrapped her, all male of Corinth was fall if the do not see women equal, just as Jason. Medea gives birth to two boys, she raised them, fed them with her own breast; the exchange of the mother's milk to the child symbolizes connection between the mother and child. Medea gave the children life from her body and held them in her body for 9 months, those children…
characters in his greek tragedy Medea face hardship and although they do wrong we are still able to sympathise for them. It is easy for the audience to empathise for Medea’s sons who are completely innocent and have done no wrong however, Euripides tests the audience’s emotions by creating characters such as Medea and Jason who both commit horrible deeds yet face extreme hardship. This hardship encourages the audience to feel sorry for characters however this is questioned when said character…
Medea by Euripides is a tragedy of a woman who feels deceived by her husband, who has left her for another women and her jealousy overwhelms her. Medea is first seen as a helpless woman; as the play continues her true colors begin to unfold. The reader is shown Jason and Medea’s wrongdoings, Medea’s influence of the daughters of Pelias to commit murder and Jason’s abandonment towards Medea and his children. In Medea the theme and idea of love are seen throughout. In Medea although Jason and…
“Medea explores the tension between reason and passion”. Discuss It is within the very nature of humans to isolate the polarised forces of reason and passion, yet within his Greek tragedy Medea, Euripides demonstrates the “fatal results” of possessing a predisposition for either frame of mind. Indeed, the antagonistic relationship between Medea and society best contextualises the gripping antithesis between maintaining an acceptable outward demeanour and laying bare our inner impulses…