Tag: medea

Toolbox: Oresteia, The Bacchae, Medea, History of the Peloponnesian War

[the following from Greek Tragedy by Elizabeth Vandiver]

The Oresteia

Others:

  • musical The Gospel at Colonus (1983), the story of Oedipus at Colonus with a service in an African-American Pentecostal church
  • Rita Dove’s story of Oedipus the King in an antebellum southern plantation The Darker Face of the Earth.
  • Star Trek: Voyager. Shipwreck of D’Lana Torres on a pre-industrial world, built around Greek tragedy.

Medea

The last of our ancient tragedies.

Background

Grammar Exercise

Wrote a tabloid article about an event in Medea.

  1. Jennifer and Ken started the breaking news of the J-Med fracture.
    Today in Corinth, a shocking turn of events for star couple Jason and Medea (or J-Med as they’ve been known to their fans). Jason has reportedly abandoned his long-time companion to make another royal match—none other than Glouce, the daughter of Creon. In an exclusive interview with Katie Corinth of Royalty Tonight, Medea’s spokesperson and nanny SuperNanny McPhee said Medea is outraged. “She’s devoted her life to this man!” McPhee said. “She left her home to be with him and has born him two children, only to be cast aside for the next young princess to cross Jason’s path. Frankly, I fear for the bride and groom,” McPhee continued. “Medea hasn’t yet completed her anger management course. I don’t know how she’ll handle this.” It’s rumored that Medea and her children will be exiled from Corinth. More to come in tomorrow’s report.
  2. Tait and Angie followed up with interviews outside the courthouse with Jason and Medea.
  3. Nick and Jeff reported on the upcoming wedding.
  4. Wendy and Pat concluded with the obituaries.

Jeff followed up with some insights into Euripides and the techniques he used in the play. Played excerpt from…

WOMEN IN ANCIENT GREECE

Was he making sweeping statements about 5th century Greek women?

Line 220 – Medea’s tirade about the oppression and high sacrifice and low status of women. What does this suggest about how women were treated in ancient Greece?

What was the role of the nurse? Line 100 Her fear of what Medea was capable of doing.

MEDEA’S CHARACTER

Medea’s exchange with the King Creon – what did this reveal about her character? Persuasiveness. Able to take on powerful men. Convinces Creon to let her stay one more day. Later she meets Aegues and begins plotting, conniving, and persuading another rich powerful king to marry and give her more children. Did anyone see through her duplicity? Jason? Creon? Aegeus?

THE LAW OF CITIZENSHIP

His perspective:

Jason seems to defend his actions and the nobility of his scheme.
For full citizenship, both father and mother had to be citizens for the children to be Greek citizens with rights and privileges. Turns out it was a common for men to take a second wife in order to bear children with full rights to inherit the family name and fortune. The hope was that this second family would take care of the 1st wife and family as well. This law of citizenship was passed before this play was written, so we begin to see why Jason thought this was the right thing to do!

Her perspective:

She is twice exiled. The law doesn’t pertain to her. Her sons will be outcast and ridiculed. A trapped woman.

THE FURIES

Jason went along with the chopping up of Medea’s brother, went along with killing her father. Are the Furies pursing Jason and Medea for these evil deeds?

Euripides tragedies won 3rd (last) place that year, but hit on some of the hot button issues of the day. So much so that the women of that day were angry at their husbands for attending his plays because of his portrayal of women. Based on the popular stories of Jason and the Golden Fleece, but made up the part of Medea murdering her children.

The 1st and 2nd place winners that year, 431 B.C. (Wikipedia)