MTA 104 ("Understanding Theatre")

Instructor: Walter Metz

Reading Notes:  Euripedes, Medea (431 B.C.)

1.  Identity Political Issues in Medea

• Gender Issues
  • Nurse tells us that Medea has been a dutiful wife ever since coming to Greece (73, 2)
  • Medea criticizes the Greek sex-gender system (76, 2)
  • Medea claims that childbirth is worse than battle (77, 1)
  • Medea focuses on her strength, not her victimization (85, 1)
• Racial Issues
  • Medea described as Asian (73, 1)
  • Medea self-conscious about her Asian heritage (82, 1)
• Class Issues
  • The Nurse thinks that the common folk are better off (75 ,1)
• Parental Issues
  • Medea almost softens against killing the boys (89, 1)
  • 5th Choral Ode:  Is it worth the pain to have children? (90, 1)
  • Medea kills the boys (92, 2)
  • Divorce allegory?:  Jason and Medea fight in front of dead children's bodies (94, 1)
  • Medea doesn't even let Jason touch the dead children (95, 1)

2.  Narrative Structure of Medea

• The Importance of the Backstory
  • Most of the exciting events are told in the backstory
  • The Nurse summarizes the myth of Medea and Jason (73, 1)
• The Importance of the Chorus
  • The Chorus advises Medea to wait because women's day is coming (79, 2)
  • The Leader of the Chorus sides with Medea after hearing what a cad Jason is (82, 1)
  • The Chorus advises Medea to let the Gods take care of Jason's offenses (75, 2)
  • The Leader of the Chorus tries to talk Medea out of her murderous plan (85, 2)
• Deus Ex Machina:  Helios lifts Medea off the stage, protecting her from Jason (93, 2)

3.  Characterization in Medea

• Jason is a cad
  • Jason blames Medea's banishment on her (80, 1)
  • Jason downplays Medea's help in his rise to success (81, 1)
  • Jason claims that he's marrying the princess for Medea's own sake (81, 2)
  • Jason says that if men had babies, all would be right with the world (82, 1)
• The Tutor
  • The Tutor is a pessimist who thinks that everyone is out for #1 (74, 2)
  • The Tutor says that "we have to bear our humanity--humanely" (88, 2)
• The Messenger
  • There's no such thing as a happy human being (92, 1)

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This page was last updated on June 16, 2001

Questions or comments?  Please phone me at (406) 994-6403 or send an e-mail to:  metz@montana.edu

Walter Metz, Department of Media and Theatre Arts, Montana State University--Bozeman