Throughout a person’s life, one goes through the process of rebellion. In the play Medea, a work in translation by Euripides, mythology is symbolic of rebellion. This statement will be proven through the analysis of mythology as fully symbolic of suppression. It will also be proven through an analysis of the world around the character Medea and analysis of Medea’s actions. In order to comprehend all stances opposing mythology as fully symbolic of rebellion, an analysis will be done to prove mythology as symbolic of suppression. In the beginning, the character Medea is crying for the loss her husband. “O Zeus… do you hear the chanted prayer of a wife in her aguish?” (Euripides 148-149). Euripides' use of the Greek god, Zeus, symbolizes the character Jason. Zeus had many mistresses in which he cheated on his wife Hera. Nothing was done on Hera’s behalf due to Zeus having a greater position of respect. In the time period to which the play is based, women are viewed as personal items and slaves to men. This is similar to Jason due to the fact that Jason has placed the character Medea in a position to which she is helpless to do anything. Medea is a housewife who has a limited role in her house. The only role Medea has is a role to tend for her children. This is an act of suppression due to the fact that Medea has to succumb to Jason’s power; similar to Hera. In turn, these actions tie into the theme of the lack of authority women have in the play, Medea. Furthermore, in the play, the character Medea seduces the character Jason in order to kill the princess. “But I too can help in this. I’ll send a present to your wife…the dress and the golden cornet” (Euripides 943-948). Through the use of this quote, Euripides employs the character... ... middle of paper ... ...ars. Jason begins to question why Medea has killed their children. In the stage directions it is noted, “Medea appears above the roof, sitting in a chariot drawn by dragons” (Euripides 1316- 1319). Only gods and prophets could command such creatures in Greek mythology. This action signifies the character Medea freeing herself from the guilt of killing her children and emotionally impairing her husband. Only through purity can one achieve such divinity. This makes Medea’s rebellion divine. Medea’s actions are a proof of mythology as symbolic of rebellion. Overall, mythology is a symbol of rebellion in the play Medea. This is shown through an analysis of mythology as symbolic of suppression to discredit all stances opposing mythology as symbolic of rebellion. It is also proven through an analysis of the world around Medea as well as, an analysis of Medea’s actions.
The stories characters, Medea and Jason, can be seen as representations of two different responses to life. For hundreds of years, society has judged each others actions and reactions based on just cause. This story, to me, has a type of underlying theme that drags the reader into a moral debate, which forces you to really question your own belief system.
Euripides’ plays Hippolytus, The Bacchae and Iphigenia at Aulis all revolve around the journey of key characters that fail to show respect to various deities within the Greek Pantheon. This disrespect, in all three plays, is met out with retaliation from the gods themselves, thus effecting those that disrespected them as well as their families. To convey these tales Euripides implements many themes, one such theme being divine retaliation. Euripides’ use of the theme of divine retaliation provides a stark illustration of the Greek Pantheon striving to prove their superiority relentlessly and gives insight into their merciless use of mortals as pawns to achieve this.
these stories the Olympian gods in the stories play important roles that affect the lives of both Jason and Medea. The behaviors of these two character also have a great contrast between them. In the story of “Jason and the Golden Fleece”, Jason is the son of Aeson who is the legitimate king of Iolcus, in Thessaly. Aeson’s half brother Pelias steals the throne away from Aeson making himself the new king of Iolcus. Jason is the rightful heir to the thrown but his father feared for his life and sent him to live with the centaur Cheiron. In time Jason wanted to know of his parents and wanted to reclaim the royal throne. It came to pass that Jason finally reunited with his parents and soon thereafter Pelias invited Jason to join him in his offerings to Lord Poseidon and to the other Olympian gods. But the king was so distraught because he knew that Jason would take the throne from him that he forgot to make offerings that would honor Golden-throned Hera. Because of this neglect Hera is offended and contrives a way to punish the king. It was Hera’s doing that Jason had to fetch the Golden Fleece from King Aeetes. As Jason prepared for his voyage he prayed to Zeus for his almighty protection and to bring them back safely. Zeus hears his prayer and responds and creates an astonishment among the people for they knew they were witnessing th...
The tragic play Medea is a struggle between reason and violence. Medea is deliberately portrayed as not a ‘normal woman’, but excessive in her passions. Medea is a torment to herself and to others; that is why Euripides shows her blazing her way through life leaving wreckage behind her. Euripides has presented Medea as a figure previously thought of exclusively as a male- hero. Her balance of character is a combination of the outstanding qualities of Achilles and Odysseus.
The two contemporary productions of Medea were selected for this essay in an effort to contrast the ancient Greek version of the play with two modernized versions, which would demonstrate a wide distinction between the styles of production. Furthermore, both modernized versions of the play add their own innovation to the production, making for an even broader dissimilarity among the plays. Moreover, both recent productions are fashioned within cultures which have borrowed their political, social, and moral ways of life from Ancient Greek society, specifically, South Africa¹ (British Colonies), and The United States².
In Medea, a play by Euripides, Jason possesses many traits that lead to his downfall. After Medea assists Jason in his quest to get the Golden Fleece, killing her brother and disgracing her father and her native land in the process, Jason finds a new bride despite swearing an oath of fidelity to Medea. Medea is devastated when she finds out that Jason left her for another woman after two children and now wants to banish her. Medea plots revenge on Jason after he gives her one day to leave. Medea later acts peculiarly as a subservient woman to Jason who is oblivious to the evil that will be unleashed and lets the children remain in Corinth. The children later deliver a poisoned gown to Jason’s new bride that also kills the King of Corinth. Medea then kills the children. Later, she refuses to let Jason bury the bodies or say goodbye to the dead children he now loves so dearly. Jason is cursed with many catastrophic flaws that lead to his downfall and that of others around him.
Aristotle, a philosopher, scientist, spiritualist and passionate critic of the arts, spent many years studying human nature and its relevance to the stage. His rules of tragedy in fact made a deep imprint on the writing of tragic works, while he influenced the structure of theatre, with his analysis of human nature. Euripides 'Medea', a Greek tragedy written with partial adherence to the Aristotelian rules, explores the continuation of the ancient Greek tales surrounding the mythology of Medea, Princess of Colchis, and granddaughter of Helios, the sun god, with heartlessness to rival the infamous Circe. While the structure of this play undoubtedly perpetuates many of the Aristotelian rules, there are some dramatic structures which challenge its standing with relevance to Aristotle's guidelines, and the judgment of Medea as a dramatic success within the tragic genre.
Medea has just killed four people which are Creon the king of Corinth, the princess whom Jason is in love with, and her two little children. Jason then prays to gods, especially Zeus, father of all gods, to punish Medea for her crimes. From the context of the quote, the chorus is addressing the audience about the unexpected and unbelievable end of the play. Medea then gets away to Athens with a chariot lent to her by Helios, the sun god and her grandfather.
Courageous, powerful, and reckless, Medea left her home without her father's blessing to accompany Jason to the land of Corinth, after using her magic powers to slay the dragon that guarded the golden fleece. She also killed her own brother to slow Jason's chasers. For a while, Medea and Jason lived in harmony in Corinth where they had two children. Later, Jason left Medea for Kreon's daughter. She became grief-stricken at her loss and filled with rage at Jason's betrayal. This, is explained by her nurse during the prologue in World Literature Volume A (pg697), "she'll not stop raging until she has struck at someone",
In Greek society, the role of women was considered to be insignificant compared to the Greek men. The women had very few rights, no room to voice personal opinions, and a very bleak future with few options for a better life. According to Moses Hades, professor of Greek studies, women in ancient Greek plays are known to be the main characters and take the role of the villain, victim, or the heroine. In Euripides’ play Medea, Medea, the main character, plays all these roles. She represents the heroine by helping her husband secure the Golden Fleece prior to their marriage, and then portrays the victim by being betrayed by her husband, and finally the villain by murdering her loved ones. Therefore, Euripides follows the standard format for a Greek tragedy.
The play in all entirety is a major spectacle but Medea’s burning desire for revenge was what captivated viewers the most. As spectators we watch with fascination and horror how the series of events unfold. The chorus also watches Medea’s cutthroat destruction of her enemies. Some might perceive this as an unsettling spectacle. Nonetheless the genius and cunningness of her action is revered not only b...
Medea and Lysistrata are two Greek literatures that depict the power which women are driven to achieve in an aim to defy gender inequality. In The Medea, Medea is battling against her husband Jason whom she hates. On the other hand, in Aristophanes' Lysistrata, the protagonist Lysistrata plotted to convince and organize the female gender to protest against the stubbornness of men. In terms of defining the purpose of these two literatures, it is apparent that Euripedes and Aristophanes created characters that demonstrate resistance against the domination of men in the society.
Medea’s illegitimate marriage and the betrayal of Jason drive Medea to extreme revenge. Medea chooses to act with her immortal self and commit inhumane acts of murder rather than rationalize the outcomes of her actions. Medea see’s this option as her only resort as she has been banished and has nowhere to go, “stripped of her place”. To create sympathy for Medea, Euripides plays down Medea’s supernatural powers until the end of the play. Throughout the play Medea represents all characteristics found in individual women put together, including; love, passion, betrayal and revenge. Medea’s portrayal of human flaws creates empathetic emotions from the audience. The audience commiserates with Medea’s human flaws as they recognize them in themselves. Medea plays the major role in this play as she demonstrates many behavioral and psychological patterns unlike any of the other Greek women in the play; this draws the audience’s attention to Medea for sympathy and respect.
In Medea, by Euripides, conflicts play a major role in the creation of the play. Some examples of these conflicts are with Medea and Jason, Medea and herself, and Medea and Creon. Medea is shown to be a strong, independent woman who does what she wants as well as doesn’t let anything stand in her way. She shares qualities of a traditional male at the time, and the qualities of a traditional female. Euripides makes this clear in the play by creating conflicts to prove women can be a powerful character and that the play in general challenges the idea of misogyny.
"Finally, the play opens with Medea's Nurse indirectly giving background information to the story about to unfold. It is quickly understood by the audience that Jason, the husband of Medea, for whom she disowned her family and had killed for, has left her for the King of Corinth (Creon's) daughter - a beautiful princess. Medea is outraged by this and is set on seeking revenge on him.