• How does The Chorus develop the detail and themes outlined in the Prologue?

The Chorus illustrates how sorrowful and desperate Medea is when she knows her husband has betrayed her, thus highlighting the tragic theme. However, he doesn’t want Medea to carry out her revenge because he believes the fierce revenge will be no good to her, and it is common “if your husband is won to a new love”.

• What dramatic effect is created?

The play starts with the nurse introducing the tragedy of Medea, which gives the audience background information and context of the play. Medea is portrayed as a revengeful, emotionally unstable woman who shows strong anger and desperation throughout the scene, which highlights her characteristics and foreshadows for the revenge. This creates an immediate impact on the audience to feel her strong emotions and pity her.

• How does Medea characterize her suffering to the audience in her initial address?

Medea appeals to the gods and make curses on her tragic life. Her tone is always furious, hateful, and complaining, which creates a strong dramatic effect on the audience through her strong emotions. She emphasizes on betrayal, pain, and unjust, which highlights the themes of the play. She also mentions “for women, divorce is not respectable; to repel the man, not possible”, which touches on the feminist side of the play that Medea is repelling the traditional Greek society’s expectations on women to revenge her husband.