What has Jason done wrong? “As for Medea, that poor lady, in her disgrace, cries out, REPEATING HIS OATHS, recalling the great trust in THAT RIGHT HAND WITH WHICH HE PLEDGED HIS LOVE. She calls out to the gods to witness how Jason is repaying her favours.”

Medea is simply the “Helper Maiden,” but not heroic in her own right “In my view, you overestimate your favours to me. I consider goddess Aphrodite the only one of gods or mortal men who saved my expedition. As for you, well, you've a subtle mind. But if I told how Eros with his unerring arrows forced you to save me, I could injure you. (lines 624-630) Jason’s Account Medea is simply the “Helper Maiden,” but not heroic in her own right

Partnership of Medea & Jason Jason is an oath breaker (581-85): violates a promise witnessed by the Gods Jason and Medea joining their right hands (dextrarum junctio), a gesture symbolizing marriage. Luni marble, Roman sarcophagus from the late 2nd century AD.

Not Only Medea – Jason has many helpers! Fairytale Pattern: “The Extraordinary Companions,” type 513. Each has a special skill & a task to perform.

Jason’s Marriage to Medea Jason sees this as no true marriage. Medea is a barbarian – in the 5th century, the only valid marriages were between citizens of the same city! Jason did more for Medea than she did for him: he brought her to a civilized land, Greece, where justice rules (635-36). But does Medea have any legal recourse in her present situation?

Jason’s marriage of advantage: marrying the boss’s daughter-is this heroic? Get this straight— this royal bride I have, I didn't marry her because of any woman. As I told you, I wanted to save you and have children, royal princes, with the same blood as my sons. That way my house has more security. (line 707-710) Medea rejects Jason’s statement that he is remarrying for the benefit of his family, and she rejects any offer of help from him outright: “I'll accept no assistance from your friends, nor anything from you.” line 735-36.

Medea’s verbal debates Greek drama frequently portrays verbal battles between two characters, each fighting for their position The episodes cast Medea against Jason twice, against Creon, and Aegeus. Medea is angry in her first confrontation with Jason, appeasing in the second. Medea manipulates the men – is this her true sorcery?

Do you think if there was no advantage to be gained Do you think if there was no advantage to be gained? If I didn’t have some plan in mind, I’d not have talked to him or grabbed his hand. But the man’s become completely foolish— when he had the power to prevent me from planning anything, by sending me out of his land, he let me stay one day, a day when I’ll turn three of my enemies to corpses—father, daughter, and my husband. (lines 434-443) Medea takes the posture of a suppliant, getting down knees before the king (382-383) and grabbing hold of his hand (line 403).

The chorus: Medea’s unwitting accomplices The Chorus in this play is a group of the local women of Corinth, Medea’s neighbors. When they arrive on the scene and question the nurse about Medea, they reveal their sympathy for her: “I find no pleasure in this house's suffering. We've been friends.” (lines 160-61). Medea asks the chorus to be silent if she can find some way to get revenge on Jason and his new wife and father-in-law (lines 300-307).

The Ethics of Medea’s revenge The chorus agrees and even approves of her request: “For you are right to pay back your husband.” (lines 308-309). The Greek ethic was not to turn the other cheek – this is a Christian notion. When Medea later states that she is “dangerous to enemies, but well disposed to friends” (lines 959-960) we could expect the ancient audience to see this statement as a positive quality, rather than a negative one, and it is a quality shared by the male heroes of Greek myth. The nurse has expressed earlier in the play the wish that Medea’s anger may fall on her enemies (line 120), rather than on friends – the irony is that in Medea’s case, her husband is now her enemy, and it will be her closest friends & her children who will suffer the most.

Medea & Aegeus The plot hinges around the appearance of Aegeus, the king of Athens.

Medea’s revenge Aegeus gives Medea the last element for her revenge plot: an escape. She is not suicidal, but she wants to live to enjoy her enemies’ defeat (lines 911-17). It is only at this time that we learn her full plans (lines 920-46). Her chosen targets will include not only Creon and his daughter, but Jason’s (and her own) sons, rather than Jason as in the original plan. She will use the children as the agents of her poisoned gifts. Once they have carried out this task, they will be Medea’s next victims (line 940-946).

Lines 1017-1146 Episode IV (866-975) — Jason and Medea The Gifts Louvre CA 2193 (IGD 111.3, 35) Lucanian Bell-Krater Dolon Painter c. 400-380 BC

Medea’s Debate with herself Medea first states that she will kill her children so that Jason will be left childless (lines 953-54) but she notes that she herself will suffer twice his pain (lines 1230-1232). She states that they might be murdered by others seeking revenge for the deaths of Creon and his daughter (lines 1246-51 & 1458-1461), so if their deaths are unavoidable, it would be better if she killed them herself (lines 1251-54).

Medea’s Revenge: a mother who kills her own children The Invention of Euripides? In some early versions Medea was a goddess & the killing was an attempt to make her children immortal. In other versions the children of Medea were murdered by the people of Corinth to get revenge after Medea killed their king

Medea’s triumphant exit: Medea as the Deus ex Machina Medea: The gods and I, with my worst intentions, have brought about this situation (line 1190). Chorus: For the gods send down onto the houses of the ones who kill sorrows to match their crimes (1505) Medea’s triumphant exit: Medea as the Deus ex Machina

Euripides leaves us with a troubling end to the drama: a message of divine approval for Medea’s actions?

Setting for Euripides’ Medea: Corinth Temple of Hera Akraia at Perachora: Built by Medea when she was queen of Corinth? Gossip in Athens reported that Euripides took a bribe from the Corinthians to make Medea the killer of her own children. At the end of Euripides’ Medea Medea refuses to give the bodies of their dead children to Jason. She has other plans for them: My own hands will bury them. I'll take them to Hera's sacred lands in Acraia, so no enemy of mine will commit sacrilege against them by tearing up their graves.

Jason vs. Heracles Shared characteristics Escapes death as a child Cheated of his birthright as king Goes on a quest Is aided by the gods Womanizer Has an unhappy end at the hands of his wife Differences Is the leader of an expedition Influenced by women, takes their aid Is abandoned by the gods A man whose anger is feared and respected

Medea vs. Heracles Shared characteristics Divine Ancestry Exceptional in all ways, figure of extremes Overcomes monsters Terrifying in her anger, not to be crossed Murders members of her own family – the worst of all crimes for the Greeks Is championed by the gods Is given special treatment after death Differences Greek vs. Foreign Males vs. Female

Hero’s Quest: Recovery of a Quest Object PATTERN: JASON PERSEUS Object sought & its magical property  Golden Fleece (marker of kingship)  Gorgon’s head (petrifying weapon) Journey to the ends of the earth: method of travel  Boat: the Argo  Winged sandals Magical Assistance  Magic Boat & Medea’s magic  Magical tools: bag, cap, etc Divine Assistance Hera & Aphrodite (earlier, Athena) Aid of Athena (and others) Obstacles overcome  Sirens, Harpies, the clashing Rocks  Gorgon sisters, sea serpent Companions    Argonauts  None

PATTERN: JASON PERSEUS HERCULES Hero narrowly escapes death as a child  Uncle Pelias  Grandfather Akrisios  Hera Hero must reclaim his birthright  Throne of Iolkos  Kingdom of Argos/Mycenae/Tiryns Hero is an orphan, raised in isolation, set apart from society  Centaur Chiron  Raised by fisherman on island of Seriphos  Centaur Chiron (in later versions) Hero overcomes a dragon  Guardian of Golden Fleece  Medusa, Sea Serpent  Many Hero wins a princess  Medea  Andromeda Hero overcomes death  Swallowed by dragon (only in early art)  The Gorgon is a figure of death  Travels to Underworld, wrestles death, etc. Hero lives unhappily ever after & meets a mysterious or humiliating death  Medea kills his children, prow of Argo strikes him on the head  Turns himself to stone with Gorgon’s head  Murdered by his own wife (accident?)