Medea

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Recommended: Critically analysis the characters of the drama Medea by Euripides

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 own sense - is done over by a woman after cheating on her with the princess of the King of Corinth. He places emphasis on human emotions and individual psychology in order to help the reader produce a clear picture of the characters. Medea features strong dramatic situations and a stirring part for the heroine, whose attitude of feminine pride and tradition is still popular in today's world.

Setting:
The entire play takes place on the island of Corinth in present day Greece. Individual places such as Medea/Jason's home, and the palace of the king and princess are also spoken of and used in the play. It has an ancient Greek setting as well.

Theme: "What goes around comes around."
The theme of revenge in the sense of Medea's strong desire to seek revenge on Jason.

Another possible theme of Medea may be that at times a punishment of revenge should justify the crime - no matter how severe. Only a person in such a situation (and greater beings) may know what to action to take in this position.

Characters:
Medea - The strong willed woman who would do anything for her husband is victimized by him and turns deadly. After going to a great extent to help Jason - killing people to be with him and married to him - he turns around and marries a younger princess and leaves Medea and their two children with nothing. This deeply angers Medea - her tragic flaw appears to be an over excessive sense of revenge - who goes absolutely berserk and kills the princess and her children to get back at Jason for leaving her. She is very decisive and intelligent and had thought through her actions against Jason before carrying them out...

... middle of paper ...

...is to kill Jason's new bride and his two children she had bore for him and then flee for Athens. The chorus tries to console Medea and tell her not to do such horrid things to other people particularly her children. Medea ignores their request and is stuck with the decision of whether or not to kill her children. She loves them and does not want to but she knows she must kill them to get back at her husband who had wronged her though she had done so much for him.

She goes through with the act of killing Jason's new bride - Medea's children bring her a poisoned gown, which also ends up killing the King of Corinth. - And then faces the tough act of murdering her own children who she loves dearly. She does the awful deed and refuses to allow Jason access to their bodies to bury them or the ability to say goodbye to them. Ah... Sweet Revenge

This story follows the usual Greek tragedy plot and story line and Euripides conveys his idea of a woman well. The concept of a dominant female is still applicable in today's world. Medea is still a popular story today because of this. The theme may not be one, which is "good" - that of revenge - but in the case of Medea it works well.

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