Exploring Medea: A Teen's Perspective on Revenge and Betrayal

Medea Research Paper A Teenager's Reaction to a Play that is Centuries Old I had the privilege of going to see Medea by Euripides at the Long Center in Austin on February 17. Euripides plays often feature the victims of society. In Medea he focused on how the main character, a woman, named Medea, was victimized by her society. A combination of lighting, dancers and music really helped make the experience for me. The production of Medea, perfectly captured the struggle Medea went through to ensure she got her revenge on her husband Jason. After Jason left Medea for a princess, she was determined to do whatever it took to get her revenge on him, no matter the cost. Going into Medea, I didn't know what to expect. I had been to a musical before, but not a play. Prior to seeing the play, I read and annotated the play, marking certain places that didn't make sense to me, or parts that I wanted to see how the actors portrayed. I researched the gods mentioned in the exposition, and the history of Euripides. I even watched other people's interpretation of ...show more content... During the entire play, I felt as if I was in Ancient Greece. The actors portrayed the characters exactly as I pictured them when I read the play on my own. From my point of view, Medea is fine art. The play focuses on her struggle with revenge and betrayal, there isn't one clear cut lesson to be learned. It is definitely a play that you go and see to distract yourself from your life, and help you realize how much worse you could have it. Going to see Medea was definitely a good use of my time. I got to experience a play, I felt like I was in ancient Greece and it forced me to examine myself and ask myself what length would I go to in order to get revenge? All in all , going to see Medea at the Long Center was a fantastic experience and I am very glad I got to partake in Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

Medea Essay 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 ...show more content... Jason obviously is not caring about his wife who actually killed to be with him. He does however still love his children. His flaw of apathy or the fact that he is not perseverant causes his downfall when Medea has his wife (the princess) murdered as well as his children. This causes Jason to be extremely disturbed – but it is deserved. King Aegeus – The present King of Athens who is very sympathetic. He is friends with Medea and understands her problem. He tells her that she may come to Athens and seek refuge if she pleases. He has no children and asks if she will "provide him with some". In this sense, he is a jolly fellow who assists friends in time of need. He also provides Medea with a place to go and be protected after she goes on her killing rampage. Nurse – The Nurse plays a somewhat minor role and yet influences the story of Medea. She is employed by Medea to look after the children but the Nurse also gossips and provides advice and assistance to Medea. She provides the audience with background information on the play and puts pieces together of the "big picture." The Nurse begs Medea to not do anything rash because of Jason but says that she knows Medea will so that foreshadows the though of tragedy in the play. She also sympathizes Medea but as soon as Medea is not looking, the Nurse criticizes her as being somewhat over reactive.

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Medea Plot Analysis Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy play written by Euripides. The play bases itself on the ancient myth of Jason and Medea. The play's plot centers itself on the actions of Medea who was the Barbarian's former prince who seeks revenge against Jason who betrayed her with another woman. Considered as one the best work produced by Euripides, the play has earned the writer several awards including the Dionysian festival awards in 431BCE (Williamson 1) Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to discuss in length the flow of events in the play. To accomplish its objective, the paper will have a close look at the synopsis of the play, the play's main characters of the story and an analysis of the play. Plot After the Golden Fleece adventure, Jason ...show more content... I shall bury them with my own hand" and takes the corpses with her as she "flies away triumphant."` Analysis of the Plot As in the case with most of the Greek plays, this takes place in just a single scene, outside the façade, which was Jason's and Medes palace. In this case, events that took place outside the palace like the murder of the two sons is described in an elaborate speech delivered by a messenger. The plays exhibit some universal themes such as passion and rage, which are expressed by Medea's extreme behavior and emotions, which makes her to, seek revenge, which she achieves through the shedding of blood. The nurse echoes her rage when she warns her boys not to go in the house "her rage – I'm sure of that – before she strikes out at someone. I pray it will be enemies and not loved ones she hurts" (Euripides, 5). Out of the rage that she posses, she ends up even destroying that which was not supposed to get the consequences of what conspired between the father and mother. On the other hand, Jason's betrayal transformed her passion into rage expressed by her wife by killing their sons, Creon 's and her daughter. Revenge is another theme that loudly speaks for itself. Medea depicts revenge by being willing to sacrifice everything including her family to make her revenge perfect. During her speech, she speaks with bitterness, and her words depict a lot of vengeance due to what the husband has done to her. At the chorus, she says "I ask you Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Medea By Euripides In the drama "Medea" by Euripides, it a great movie has discussed about the love, passion, fear, and the most important is revenge in life. It makes the reader and the audience have a feeling of sadness, disappoint, angry, contradictory, betray about the unhappiness power of love with the impassioned turned into the furious hatred in life and society. Throughout the drama, the revenge is necessity for all the women in the Ancient Greece. So all the women in Ancient Greece were treated as weak and they did not have any chance to express their opinion or even to choose what is better for them in life. Besides that, the main character Medea was begins her marriage being an ideal wife for Jason, and she sacrifices herself to him, she leaves her Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Medea Title of work– Medea Country/Culture– Greek Literary Period– Classical Type of literature (genre)– Drama/Tragedy Author– ...show more content... Though many events do take place in other regions of the city, we only obtain knowledge of them through hearsay. Euripedes used this tool in theaters for the audience to visualize the actions instead of cheapening the experience with the few special affects available to them. Theme– Medea had one obvious theme; hell hath no fury like that of a woman's scorn. It is apparent from the opening statement of the Nurse that Medea is a very heartless towards anyone who has crossed her. Once Jason's betrayal is exposed to Medea, she immediately starts to thinks of in a murderous mentality toward Jason. She goes through any means necessary to hurt Jason. Characters– Medea was born under king Aetees of Colchis as a witch–princess. As a youth she met Jason the Argonaut and fell instantly in love, as was planned by the gods. This drove her to betray her family and homeland of Colchis by aiding Jason in the retrieval of the Golden Fleece . After this she was forced to leave with Jason, who she later wed. After many years though, Jason fell for another and crossed Medea in a way no one should. This led Medea to thirst for a revenge far more devious then many can imagine. She planned to kill her to children and Jason's new found love. After succeeding in the destruction of Jason's whole point in existence she fled in a dragon drawn chariot to Athens where she has been promised refuge. The Nurse has been the Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

Medea Essay Susan Smith murdered her own two children in 1994. Kathleen Folbigg killed her only child in 1998. Caro Socorro killed her three children in 1999. And in 431 B.C. the fictional character, Medea, murderedmurdured her own two sons. When hearing about these extreme atrocities we are repulsed. What sane mother could murder her own children? But thats just the point isn't it, no sane mother would kill her own young. No, each of these women had underlying psychological issues that led to them committing these unnatural, morally wrong acts. Susan was rejected by her lover, Kathleen's father had brutally murdered her mother, Caro was a victim of a failed marital relationship, whilst in Euripides play, Medea was not only rejected and a victim of a ...show more content... The shocking addition of having a mother slaughter her own children makes a dark story even darker, it deepens the revenge and shocks the moral of the audience. Euripides manipulates the audience through traditional Greek play techniques to increase the intensity of the revenge, by playing with our thoughts and inviting his audience to question the way their society lives. Through the Chorus of Corinthian women Euripides directs the audiences view of Medea. Throughout the play the Chorus voices their opinion, influencing the audience to their point. Originally the Chorus celebrates Medea's desire for revenge, chanting "To punish Jason will be just" (line 267, p. 25), the audience agrees with the Chorus, Jason should be punished. Once the Chorus become aware of her intentions they turn against her, attempting to make her see reason and in the final ode they condemn her while acknowledging that her actions are the manifestation of a greater power and thereby re enforce Euripides tragic theme. The Chorus's 5 stasimons and short interventions during the play direct the audience's thoughts and opinions. As a tragic heroine Medea is a creation unique to Euripides, the psychological study of a woman entirely consumed by love and hate. He reminds us that her love for Jason resulted in the betrayal of her father, the murder of her brother and the murder of Pelias. Rejected, mocked and betrayed, her pride and hatred of Jason cause the destruction Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Medea the Feminist Essay The role of women in Greek society is a major theme in Euripides' Medea. In ancient Greek society, women are frail and submissive according to men, and their social status is considered very inferior. Feminism is the theory of men being treated differently than women and the male dominance over women in society. Because of Jason's betrayal of Medea , she is a challenge to the traditional views of ancient Greek society based on her actions. She wonders about the differences between the treatment of men and women and the active roles they play in society, such as the woman 's role to bear and nurture children. Medea ignores those feminine qualities and questions Jason's sexist ideals. She internally struggles between self independence and ...show more content... She made the sacrifices without regrets because she loved Jason. But after finding out about the marriage to the King's daughter, she has much regret, which was forbidden in Ancient Greek culture. Medea is also comparing women, who are virtually servants, to their husbands who have freedom. She is also comparing the chauvinistic views of men with men being able to have other friends while women are to keep their eyes only on their husband and stay at home. Jason displayed his chauvinistic qualities in the following monologue: But you women have got into such a state of mind That, if your life at night is good, you think you have Everything; but, if in that quarter things go wrong, You will consider your best and truest interest most hateful. It would have been better far for men To have got their children in some other way, and women Not to have existed. Then life would have been good. (Euripides, 702) Jason boldly conveys his, and perhaps society's, views of sex as being for reasons of procreation only and that men only engage in this activity for the purposes of having children, that there is no pleasure in the act at all. His desire is that men can avoid the act if there was some other way to have children. As Euripides uses Jason's chauvinistic ways in this excerpt, the audience is developing pity and compassion for Medea and feminism is supported. Characteristic Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Euripides 'Medea' Euripides, in his tragedy, 'Medea' has embodied values of his time by critiquing and questioning his own social, cultural and historical context. The play, sensitive to the zeitgeist and its influence on philosophy, was written having recourse on the apprehensions and morality of non–partisanship and equilibrium, set against a discordant society. The characterisation of Medea allowed Euripides to challenge customary xenophobic beliefs delimitating the humanity of herself and others. The obstinacy of such values gave birth to the rebel with a cause. Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

Essay About Medea If you saw something, would you say something? This is the questions posed by the Bullis players, in there production of Medea, which I had the honor of seeing as a critic for Cappies on October 28th 2017. Medea is a show about love, loss and most of all murder. It was originally writeen in 431 BC by Euripides in ancient Greece. The show was repopularized in in the late 1940s and started on broadway in 1947. The show takes place a good few years after the events of the quest for the Golden Fleece, which is where Medea (Played by Tamia Haskins) and Jason (played by William Evans) first met. Since than they had two sons and all was happy for a brief time. Medea started to go mad, and eventually Jason leves her to marry the princess of Corinth.This ...show more content... While theyre was the occasional stumbling over words, or speaking to fast, overall the show was very good and most flaws with the show were not the faults of the actors, but instead the fault of the ancient script. The leading actress who played Medea, Tamia Haskins, was one of the best preformers in the show. Haskins was very expressive and clearely enunciated and projected her words. She played the part of a mad woman very well by showing powerful emotions and expressions, and even cried on cue! Her supporting actress Sydney Smith (playing The Nurse) was just as good as Medea. She never once forgot her lines and had amazing stage presence. At the end of the play Bullis added on a epilogue where the ensemble and cast broke the fourth wall and spoke to us as an audience. They spoke of how anyone of them could have seen how this was going to end but didnt stop it anyway. Wheteher it was fear, or anger,none of the characters spoke up, adding an amazing lessen to the play that if you see something, say something.Bullis School made good work of a very diffucult show in a very limited amount of Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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