...and his men, and Poseidon’s revenge on Odysseus. These different examples of revenge in The Odyssey show the importance of the gods’ revenge in the epic journey of Odysseus. Orestes’ revenge is the first important example of the gods’ revenge in the poem. In Book 1, Hermes told Aegisthus, “’Don’t murder the man,’ he said, ‘don’t court his wife. Beware, revenge will come from Orestes…” (Homer 260). King Nestor delivers the story of Orestes’ revenge to Odysseus’ son Telemachus, while Telemachus is visiting Nestor to discover answers about his fathers’... The Character Medea's Revenge in Euripides' Medea Medea is a tragedy of a woman who feels that her husband has betrayed her with another woman and the jealousy that consumes her. She is the protagonist who arouses sympathy and admiration because of how her desperate situation is. I thought I was going to feel sorry for Medea, but that quickly changed as soon as I saw her true colors. I understand that her emotions were all over the place. First, she was angry, then cold and conniving. The lower she sinks the more terrible revenge she wants to reap on Jason. Medea's plan was set into motion. She has nothing to loose. She is even angrier because she betrayed her own father and her people for him. She even bears the burden of having Pelias killed...
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...The play Medea is first performed as an Ancient Greek Tragedy at the festival of Dionysus in 431 BC. During this time, the Patriarchal society dominated by men and where women are expected to act obedient and submissive at the time of Ancient Greek. Maintaining a balance of moderation is important, as the society believe in the Greek Gods philosophies whether it is behavioural or political. Euripides, the playwright of Medea presents a tale of a revengeful, semi-divine woman who seeks justice upon her ex-husband, Jason, as he betray his oath of promise that hurt her emotionally and her pride. Euripides challenge the male audience’s views on what is right or wrong when it considers committing a crime and the characters motivation to act brutally....
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...past their curfew, change their entire style, and skip classes to be with their loved ones. However, in Euripedes’ play, Medea, the main character, Medea, was not only a crazy, homicidal lady, but she was also persuasive, as she had caused the deaths of many innocent lives. Medea has a past of convincing naive people to kill their loved ones. Because Jason was going to marry another woman, Medea was going to be exiled from Corinth, which she did not like. Betrayed and angered by Jason’s actions, Medea reacted horribly and cruelly to the people around her. Wanting to seek revenge, Medea plotted the deaths of the King Creon’s daughter, whom Jason was going to marry, the King, and her children, thus leaving Jason to mourn over the death of his new bride and children. Although Jason was leaving Medea for another person, Medea did not have a right to seek revenge against Jason. Upset by Jason’s betrayal, Medea maliciously plotted the death of King Creon’s daughter as her last act before her banishment. Knowing it will be suspicious if she were the...
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...Women and Femininity in Medea Women’s rights movements have made incredible progress in recent times. Although there are many countries around the world where women are facing political and social unjustness, the social class of women in ancient Greece of 5th century BCE was solely grounded by patriarchal ideologies. The Greek playwright Euripides creates a persistent character Medea, in his classic tragedy Medea. Today, scholars study this relentless protagonist who has become an eternal and timeless symbol of femininity and womenfolk revolt. Whilst many themes such as passion, vengeance, and exile are present within Euripides’ Medea, the theme of women and femininity is critically manifested throughout the interactions of its central character Medea. While this theme is prominently motivated by the values of patriarchal ideology, the cunning characterization of Medea quickly alters in the beginning of the tragedy. Medea’s first tirade acts as a catalyst in her vengeful epiphany towards Jason with the use of the former characters’ words and actions and ultimately Medea’s words and actions. Within the context of Medea’s first tirade, the theme of women and femininity is initially established through her address to the Greek Chorus. Moreover, Medea’s characterization begins to alter as her interactions progress. To begin the tirade, Medea merely addresses the Greek Chorus, “Ladies of Corinth, I’ve come out, you see. I’ve come out, in a way, to defend myself” (Euripides and...
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...Medea Many different literary works have a well-developed plot from the beginning to the end. Some of these works have a character that readers view throughout the work as a terrible human being, and some people have to suffer because of that one person. Euripides, the author of the Medea, sets the tone of Jason to be a cheating husband in the play. Medea, Jason’s wife, has to live with him while he goes out sleeping with another woman and planning a wedding with her. Readers, throughout the play, view Jason as a cruel husband while, at the same time, they feel sympathy towards Medea. The way Medea is treated makes her want to get revenge against Jason, and throughout the play the true reasons and means for which she exacts her revenge come to the surface. In the beginning of the play the first character that speaks is Medea’s Nurse. In her speech she talks about how she wishes that Medea had not left her homeland to come and live with Jason: I wish the Argo never had set sail, / had never flown to Colchis through the dark / Clashing Rocks… ……………………………………………………………………………………… My mistress then, / Medea, never would have sailed away / to reach the towers of Iolcus’ land… (1-3, 7-9). The Nurse then goes on to saying that Medea has complied with all of Jason’s needs. This shows that Medea is an ideal wife who anyone could wish for. Even though Medea complied with Jason at all times, he still decides to leave her for a King’s daughter. One could say after reading this passage...
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...Foreshadowing in Medea Sometimes the audience knows how the drama will end long before the final curtain. In Medea by Euripides, Medea’s actions in pursuit of justice and revenge against Jason are foreshadowed by the statements of the chorus, Medea’s dialogue with Aegeus, and the statements and actions of Medea. Throughout the play, three women, also known as the chorus, follow the journey Medea makes and commentate on what is happening. These women provide the reader with omens that help the audience know what happens next in the play before it actually happens. These three omens are “a young mare broke from her chariot and tore with her teeth a stallion” (Medea 2: 13-4), “a slave came up to the harbor-gate, carrying a basket of new-caught fish; one of the fish took fire and burned in the wet basket with a high flame” (2: 22-4), and “a black leopard was seen gliding through the market place” (2: 24). The horse omen foreshadows Medea, the mare, coming after and attacking Jason, the stallion. The fish omen foreshadows how Creusa and Creon die, like the fish, by burning from a fire. The leopard omen foreshadows the darkness and evil that will take over Corinth. Lastly, the women say “and women they say can do no good but in childbirth. It may be so, but she can do evil” (1: 231). This foreshadows that Medea will become evil and commit evil acts. Another instance in which foreshadowing plays an important role in the play is through the dialogue of Aegeus and Medea. It is in this...
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...elements of epic which he used as a guide for his poem. Such elements include the use of similes, digression, epithets and exceptional characters. The importance of these characters is reflected in the roles and traits that are assigned to them. This is because the plot is developed by the distinctive character traits displayed. In the poem Jason and Medea turn out to be the main characters whose roles are very crucial to the development of the plot. This write-up would therefore try to bring out the distinctive similarities and differences in character traits of Jason and Medea both in deeds and words of Apollonius Voyage of Argo. Typical of all mythical heroes, both Jason and Medea are of royal blood. Jason is a prince whose father, Aeson is the rightful king of Iolcus until the usurpation of his power by Pelias, Aeson’s half-brother a very power-hungry man who wishes to gain dominion over all of Thessaly. Jason is trained by a powerful master, Centaur far from home for the fear that Pelias might kill him and Jason only returns to Iolcus now to reclaim what is rightfully his, thus as a prince he did not get to enjoy a luxurious life. Medea however is a lady who enjoys the joys and luxury of being brought up by her father, Aeetes and therefore has no problems to worry over till Jason arrives in Colchis....
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...with the theme of madness It is not rare that the theme of madness whether it is feigned or not to be presented in literary works. William Shakespeare and Euripides depict this theme in their works Hamlet and Medea. Medea and Hamlet have experienced familial hardships; as a result they believe that the only way to obtain what they desire is through manipulation. Indeed both characters have become masters at the art of deceiving. In both works the theme of madness can be discussed as we cannot be certain that these personas are truly lunatics. Madness can be here considered as a tool to achieve ones end. Indeed Medea and Hamlet feign insanity in order to achieve revenge over their disloyal family. Medea and Hamlet have been betrayed by their family, the first through the murder of his father by his uncle and the marriage of his mother to the same man and the second by her husband who has agreed to marry somebody else. Both are left alone dealing with these events. As madness may be described as “mental incapacity caused by an unmentionable injury”, it is with no surprise that Hamlet or Medea would fall in the hands of insanity. However their actions and words prove the opposite. We can thus suppose that they are both feigning madness to achieve revenge. Medea thinks about the consequences before taking action “what state would take me in? What friend would offer me his land as refuge”. Hamlet weighs also his options as he does not know whether he should defend his father’s...
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...Medea Medea is a shocking tale about adultery and revenge that ends in four murders. The play was very likely anti-woman when it was originally written in ancient Greece, but can be seen as more pro-woman from a modern standpoint. Because plays in ancient Greece were written and performed solely for an audience of men, it is very possible that this play was a warning towards husbands about the consequences of not staying faithful to their wives. Today's view on feminism, however, sheds a different light on the rather gruesome events that take place in this work of literature. While Medea was a Greek horror story at the time it was written, major concepts of the play now appeal to modern feminist ideas. Medea addresses some important topics...
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...Upon Jason and Medea’s encounter, Medea attempts to manipulate Jason, though communicating her grievances in an impassioned manner. Medea implores, “All this I have done for you and yet you have betrayed me, you unfeeling monster…”Ah, my poor hand, that you many times would take in yours, my poor knees so earnestly clasped in entirety, and all, all for this, you man of stone! My hopes are dashed” (Euripides 488 - 499). Seeking to cause Jason’s self - condemnation, Medea intentionally exaggerates her significance, in an attempt to emphasize the gravity of the situation. Unable to recognize Jason’s humanity, Medea’s description of “unfeeling monster” reveals his dominance in the relationship, as Medea dramifies Jason’s presence, viewing herself as subordinate. Rather than create a formidable aura, Medea softens her emotional strength, in order to magnify her weakness. While Medea utilizes emotional appeal, she connects her mental and physical trauma through diction, such as “Ah my poor hand”, dramatizing her situation, into one of despair. In an endeavor to elicit Jason’s sympathy, Medea illustrates her relationship with Jason, as one of sacrifice, asserting his responsibility for her actions. “And for all this, you man of stone” divulges Medea’s disregard for Jason, as she deems him unworthy. Through “My hopes...
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...hero-he adventures far and wide killing monsters, attempts to get a nearly unattainable object and it is not in his nature to remain monogamous. Medea, a woman whom he promised fidelity, is powerful in her own right as a femme fatale and scorned woman, as she has the power to help Jason as well as bring upon his demise. Their relationship was built upon transgressions in order to continue their adventures. By the end of their...
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...In the play, Medea, by Euripedes and freely adapted by Robinson Jeffers, Medea is depicted as a woman who has been trapped by an undeniably tragic event, and faces many obstacles throughout her story. But she is not the only character to face such tragedies in the play, and many of the other characters in the novel are forced into similarly horrific circumstances as a result of Medea’s actions. These characters are often killed, or left distraught either by Medea’s hand or through related events. The knowledge of Medea being the cause of other’s harm and misfortune contributes to her role as a tragic hero, and to the overall tragic vision of the play. Throughout the play, there appears to be three different ways that Medea causes tragedy in the lives of others. One of such ways that Medea causes tragedy is through direct actions unto others....
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...The play Medea explores the ideas of passion, betrayal, and revenge during the Ancient Greek era. The character of Medea is described as being scorned by her husband Jason and left to take care of their two children on her own. Though she is to be exiled from Corinth, her home, she is given one day to gather herself before she must leave. In this time, she begins to plot revenge against Jason who has left her to marry another woman for his own personal success. Not only does Medea want to murder her husband, but also Creon, the king, and his daughter Glauce who will soon be married to Jason. Eventually, Medea decides to poison Glauce and Creon, kills her children, and brings misery to Jason for eternity while she rides off in a chariot. All...
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... Text and Ideas Euripides’ Medea Professor Renzi While it was conventional to have three actors in a play, Euripides’ Medea could actually be done with two speaking actors (the children do not count). For consistency the three players will simply be numbered one, two, and three. Medea would be played by all three different actors, the reason being that the most complex and speckled character is the title character of Medea. For the first scene when the Nurse and Tutor are on stage speaking, Actor 1 will play the Nurse while Actor 2 will play the Tutor and Actor 3 will be the one saying Medea’s lines from within. Actor 1 will continue to play the Nurse through the scene with the Chorus describing Medea's situation.For the scene where Medea and Creon speak about the banishment of Medea, Actor 3 will remain to play Medea while Actor 2 will play Creon. When Medea and Jason share their scene for the first time, Actor 2 will play Medea, since this is a slightly different Medea because this Medea has a sharp tongue and is quick to bitterly curse Jason. Jason can be played by Actor 1. For the scene with Aegeus and Medea, Actor 3 will return to play Medea since this Medea is the type that kneels (the same way she kneels in front of Creon) and asks for help. Actor 1 can play Aegeus. When Jason and Medea speak for the second time, Actor 3 will remain to play Medea, as this Medea also kneels and “apologizes” to Jason. Medea in this scene acts different towards Jason and the...
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...themes in Euripides’ ‘Medea’ develop the plot more significantly than others?’ (45 marks) In the Medea, by Euripides, there are many themes which are portrayed in a variety of ways through most of the characters in the play. These include: The role of men/women in Greek society, marriage/love, the importance of oaths, and parents/children. Plot development is when a theme helps the plot move on in the play; it could be considered that ‘the importance of oaths’ is more significant in developing the plot than the other themes. The theme of ‘the importance of oaths’ is a very significant theme in terms of plot development. This is because oaths are very important to Medea, and actually form the basis of the play. When Medea helped Jason with the trials of the Golden Fleece, and even turned against her own father, King Aeëtes, to help him; Jason vowed to always protect her and stay with her. However he broke these vows by marrying Glauce, which angered Medea the most and caused her to carry out her actions within the play. It was not the fact that Jason left her, which upset Medea the most, but more the idea that he broke these oaths. The importance of oaths to Medea is thus emphasised within the interaction with Aegeus, King of Athens, whom Medea makes vow that he will give her sanctuary in Athens after she escapes Corinth. The fact that she made him swear an oath, also emphasises Medea’s mistrust in men. Had this oath-swearing not been the case, then Medea may not have killed...
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