FIRST EPISODE
Examine Medea’s behavior with Creon: what strategies does she use to manipulate him?
Medea is actively trying to gain sympathy from Creon as she is playing on his compassion. As Medea puts it, “You yourself have children”, and by that, she manipulates Creon’s feelings of guilt to persuade him to let her stay for one more day. Medea’s no stranger to the patriarchal state of things and knowing that she tries to appear as weak as possible. As well as that, it is important to mention how the idea of motherhood (“I’m not worried for myself – I weep for their disaster”) is employed to appeal to Creon and cause his compassion.
How does Medea’s speech after Creon’s exit give us further insight into her character?
Medea’s narrative takes a complete turn as it’s reflected through the line “He’s such an idiot. He could have thrown me out, destroyed my plans; instead he’s granted me a single day to turn three enemies to three dead bodies”. This not only shows Medea as a strategic and calculated persona but also makes her look two-faced in the eyes of the readers. It can, however, be argued that Medea is a victim of the circumstances and as a woman in Ancient Greek society, she had no better choice. At the same time, Medea’s completely cold-hearted towards her children as she is blinded by her plans for revenge. Furthermore, Medea is not ashamed of thinking about killing her own children, which ultimately makes her look inhumane.
FIRST STASIMON
What is the thematic function of the choral stasimon after this episode?
Thematically, the stasimon transitions from one episode to another, and the Chorus plays the role of an unbiased spectator as it reports back to the audience. Chorus reveals the inequalities (“Everything runs in reverse – justice is upside down.”), tells the story of Medea (“You sailed away from home and father, driven insane in your heart; you traced a path between the twin cliffs of Pontus.) and shows compassion to her (“Poor woman, dishonored, sent into exile.”).
SECOND EPISODE
How does Euripides dramatically present the contrast between Medea and Jason’s different perspectives on their relationship?
As the audience, we can observe how Jason attempts to omit some important notions of past events and create a distorted reality. The line “You are now an exile because of your own foolish words” indicates that Jason doesn’t feel responsible for Medea’s exile. Jason tries to portray himself as the savior in this situation as it is seen through his words “However much you hate me, I could never wish you any harm”.
Medea, on the other hand, can’t accept Jason’s vision of reality and brings the memories of her sacrifices for Jason. Medea not only saved Jason’s life but also had to betray her own family for Jason. Medea is an enemy to all and friend to none and that makes her hands tied and leaves no other option than revenge and anger.
SECOND STASIMON
What sympathy does the chorus show to Medea? Why?
The chorus understands Medea’s suffering and admits the complexity of her situation (“No city, no friend will treat you with compassion in your dreadful suffering”). Furthermore, the chorus judges Jason for his two-faced nature and betraying Medea.
How is this dramatically effective?
The Chorus’s lines imply an unwillingness to support Jason as they reveal the true colors of the situation. The Chorus could be seen as an objective indicator as it interprets events in an unbiased and just way