Euripides: Medea

Euripides (ca. 480-406 B.C.E.) 

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The youngest of the three most celebrated tragedians of Athens, his works were only moderately successful; however scholars note that Euripides' tragedies, unlike those of his contemporaries, contained more humor and compassion--particularly in his renderings of Helen of Troy. "For readers," your text points out, Euripides was "the liveliest, funniest, and most provocative of the three great Athenian tragedians" (783). However, his later works demonstrate harsh criticism toward the sufferings of women and families during the Peloponnesian war (784). 

"A younger contemporary of Aeschylus and Sophocles, Euripides lived through most of the cultural and political turmoil of the fifth century, and was seen as one of the most influential voices for the revolutionary ideas that were developing in this period. Controversial in his time for his use of colloquial language and his depictions of unheroic heroes, sexually promiscuous women, and cruel, violent gods. Euripides has lost none of his power to shock, provoke, amuse, and engage his audiences" (783).

Euripides is associated with the Sophists--philosophers like Aristotle--who were heralded by some as purveyors of a new school of thought, and "progressive oppenness"; and by others as a threat to the education of young males. Euripides plays tended to steer audiences' focus from the deeds of heroes and toward the internal conflicts and 'domestic wrangling' of average individuals. Euripides "was seen as a cynical realist about human nature: Sophocles said that while he showed people as they ought to be, Euripides showed them as they are" (784). His male protagonists are shown in the full bloom of questionable character; his women are often violent and outrageous. Members of the lower classes and slaves featured prominently and sympathetically in the tragedies of Euripides, and the gods were featured as ruthless in one extreme, indifferent in the other. 

Medea

Medea (Tracey A. Cole)

The tragedy of Medea is linked to the Athenian narrative of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Our text summarizes the plot: 

"...the hero Jason was told by his uncle, Pelias, that he could not claim his rightful inheritance, the throne of Iolcus, unless he perform a seemingly impossible quest: cross the Black Sea to the distant barbarian land of Colchis, ruled by the savage king Aeetes, and bring back to Greece the Golden Fleece, which was guarded by a dragon. Jason assembled a group of the finest Greek heroes, and built the world's first ship--the Argo--to take them to Colchis. Once they arrived, King Aeetes set Jason the task of ploughing a field with a team of fire-breathing bulls. Luckily, the king's daughter, Medea, fell in love with Jason. She was skilled in magic, and enabled him to plough the field, lull the dragon to sleep, steal the fleece, and escape back to Greece, killing her own brother to distract the attention of their enraged Colchian pursuers. When they arrived in Iolcus, Pelias tried to go back on his word, and hang onto power. Medea got back at him by persuading Pelias' daughters that they could make their father immortal by boiling him alive--which was, of course, untrue. After the scandal was discovered, Jason and Medea were forced into exile. The couple had children, and eventually moved to Corinth. There, Jason decided to divorce Medea and marry a native Corinthian princess instead. With that, the action of Medea begins" (784-5).

Themes

Sophia: Wisdom. Sophia can be seen as having two different connotations, however: on the one hand it is considered a deep insight; on the other, "mere cleverness" (785).

Infidelity

Revenge

Women's Roles/Place in Society

Foreigners
Fallen Woman
Motherhood
Betrayal

Your text observes that Medea is, for its many readers, a difficult play to interpret, in that Medea's complex character and deeds are at once heroic and contradictory. In one instance, she is an empowered female who responds stoically to Jason's infidelity. She takes a stand for all women, observing childbirth as a greater endurance than battle, saying, "I'd rather take my stand behind a shield three times than go through childbirth once." Her actions to avenge this dishonor, however, are bloody and violent. An observation can be made that, as women and foreigners were considered at the lowest station in Athenian life, Medea's actions suggest a pastiche of what might happen when rises up against one's station.