Euripides Medea Essay example -- Medea Euripides Essays

Euripides MedeaMedea is the tragic tale of a charr scorned. It was written in431 B.C. by the Greek playwright, Euripides. Eruipides was thefirst Greek poet to suffer the fate of so many of the greatmodern writers rejected by most of his contemporaries (herarely win first prize and was the favorite target for thescurrilous humor of the comic poets), he was universally admiredand revered by the Greeks of the centuries that followed hisdeath(Norton Anthology). Euripides showed his interest inpsychological science in his many go throughing portraits of women (WorldBook). Euripides choice of women support characters such as thenurse and the utter is imperative to the magnification ofMedeas emotions. The very fact that the nurse and chorus arefemale deepens Medeas sadness, impassions her anger, and makesthe crime of killing her own children all the more heinous.Medeas state of mind in the beginning of the play is thatof hopelessness and self pity. Medea is twain woman andforeigner tha t is to say, in terms of the audiences prejudiceand practice she is a representative of the two free born groupsin Athenian society that had nigh no rights at all (NortonAnthology 739). Euripides could not flip chosen a moredowntrodden role for Medea. Here is this woman who has stood byher man through densely and thin. She has turned her back on herfamily and killed her own brother while helping Jason capture theGolden Fleece.Oh my father Oh, my country In what dishonor I unexpended you, killing my own brother for it.(Medea 164-165)Despite all of her devotion to her husband he has fallen in lovewith someone new, Glauke. The Nurse and the Chorus understandand sympathize with Medea as only other women could. Euripidesdevelops the heart of Medeas character by the sympatheticalapproach of the Nurse....calling out on her fathers name,And her land, and her home betrayed when she came away withA man who straightway is determined to dishonor her.Poor creature, she has discovered by her sufferings What it means to one not to have lost ones own country.(Medea 31-35)The Chorus are sympathetic to Medeas heartache also, and offer amore simple and acceptable approach to help Medea deal with hertroubles.Suppose your man gives honorTo another womans bed.It often happens. Dont be hurt.... ...And when I have ruined the whole of Jasons house, I shall leave the land and flee from the murder of myDear children, and I shall have done a dreadful deed.(Medea 775-780)The killing of Glauke and Kreon loses implication with theChorus who are dreadfully anticipating the harm of Medeaschildren. Euripides uses a female chorus to signify the atrocityof a mother killing her own children. The Chorus no longersympathizes with Medea, yet still blames Jason for the eventswhich have taken place. You too, O wretched bridegroom, making your match withkings,You do not see that you bringDestruction on your children...(Medea 964-966)Euripides role of female characters to sympathize withMedeas h eartache in the beginning, and magnify the unscrupulousmurder of her children in the end is brilliant. The reason forthe female support is evident. If the Nurse or Chorus had been amale servant or a mixed crowd in society the plot of the playwould have been lost. Medea is a woman suffering from a brokenheart, and it seems only fair that she be given sympathy andjudgment from peers who can relate. Hell hath no fury like thatof a woman scorned