Literary Elements
What is an example of dramatic irony in Medea?
The audience knows that Medea plans to kill Glauce, but Jason and Creon believe she has accepted the marriage.
How do Medea’s grief and anger affect her actions after Jason leaves her? Provide an example from the play.
Medea’s grief turns into rage, making her plot revenge. She refuses to eat, cries to the gods, and later kills Jason’s new wife and her own children.
How does Jason’s betrayal of Medea reflect the way women were treated in ancient Greece?
Women had no legal power; Jason abandons Medea for a richer marriage without consequences, showing how women were seen as disposable.
Why does Jason marry Glauce, the king’s daughter, instead of staying with Medea?
Jason wants wealth, power, and social status. Marrying Glauce gives him royal connections, proving he cares more about status than loyalty.
In Medea, Jason abandons Medea for a wealthier marriage. How does this reflect modern issues of gender and economic inequality in relationships today?
Like Jason, some people marry for money or social status. Many women still face financial struggles after divorce, showing ongoing gender and class inequalities.
How does the Nurse’s opening monologue foreshadow the events of the play?
She warns that Medea is dangerous and will not tolerate betrayal, hinting at the revenge she will take on Jason and his new wife.
How does Medea’s speech to the Chorus reflect her inner conflict between being a loving mother and seeking revenge?
Medea resents Jason’s betrayal but still loves her children. She knows killing them is wrong, but she believes it’s the only way to truly hurt Jason.
Medea says, "Of all creatures that have life and reason, we women are the sorriest lot." What does this reveal about women’s roles in Greek society?
Women were expected to obey their husbands and had few rights. Medea criticizes marriage because it makes women dependent on men.
How does Medea’s status as a foreigner affect her power in Corinth?
Medea is an outsider with no rights, making her easy to discard. Jason abandons her because she has no political or economic value.
Medea uses her intelligence and power to get revenge but is ultimately feared and exiled. How does this relate to how powerful women are treated in modern society?
Women in leadership roles are often seen as "too aggressive" or "dangerous," just like Medea. Society celebrates ambitious men but criticizes powerful women.
What do the poisoned crown and robe symbolize in the play?
They symbolize Medea’s intelligence and vengeance—gifts traditionally meant to honor someone instead bring death and destruction.
How does Medea’s conflict between love for her children and desire for revenge connect to Freud’s id, ego, and superego?
How does Medea challenge traditional gender roles in the play?
Medea is strong, intelligent, and independent. Unlike most Greek women, she refuses to accept betrayal and takes revenge, defying the role of a submissive wife.
How does Creon’s treatment of Medea reflect class struggle?
Creon, as a king, represents the ruling class. He banishes Medea because she is poor and powerless, showing how the wealthy protect their own interests.
Medea is an immigrant in Corinth and is cast aside when she is no longer useful. How does this connect to modern issues regarding immigration and class struggle?
Immigrants today often do hard labor or essential jobs, yet they face discrimination and deportation, similar to Medea being banished despite her past sacrifices.
How does Medea explore the theme of revenge vs. justice? Is Medea seeking true justice, or is she just acting out of vengeance?
Medea claims she seeks justice for Jason’s betrayal, but her actions (killing her children) show she is driven by revenge rather than fairness.
How do the Nurse and Chorus reflect Medea’s mental struggles? What does this suggest about her state of mind?
The Chorus of Corinthian women at first sympathizes with Medea but later fears her actions. What does this say about society’s view of women who defy expectations?
Society supports suffering women, but when they fight back, they become dangerous. Medea’s power and anger make others afraid of her.
How does Medea’s revenge on Jason serve as an act of class resistance?
Medea, a poor foreigner, destroys the royal family by killing Glauce and Creon, proving that even the powerless can overthrow the elite.
Medea destroys Jason’s future by killing their children. How does this relate to the cycle of oppression and retaliation in society today?
When people are oppressed for too long, they may feel forced to take extreme actions (protests, rebellions, violence), just as Medea fights back when she has no other options.
How does Euripides use mood and tone to build tension throughout Medea? Give an example from the play.
The tone shifts from sorrow to rage to horror as Medea goes from grieving to plotting revenge to committing murder. The mood grows darker as the audience senses something terrible is coming, especially when Medea hesitates before killing her children but then follows through.
Medea says, "I understand what evil I am about to do but my wrath is stronger even than my thoughts." How does this show the power of repressed emotions and trauma?
Medea declares, "I would rather stand three times in the line of battle than once bear a child." What does this reveal about the struggles of women?
Childbirth and motherhood were painful and dangerous, but society expected women to endure them. Medea compares it to war, showing that women’s suffering was ignored.
What does Jason mean when he says, "Even a friend shuns a poor man and stays out of his way"? How does this reflect Marxist themes?
Jason admits that poverty leads to isolation. In a capitalist system, people only value wealth and status, abandoning those who cannot benefit them.
Medea raises the question: "Who truly has power—those with wealth, men, or those who control the narrative?" How do we see this struggle for power play out in media, politics, or social justice movements today?
The wealthy and men still hold power, but controlling the narrative (media, social movements) can challenge the system, just like Medea uses intelligence, manipulation, and storytelling to fight back.