Medea notes
Medea notes:
Written around 431 BC and set in Corinth
Medea had a natural passion for revenge
The play revolutionised revenge tragedies by letting its heroine off the hook
What happens:
At the beginning Medea is in dire straits, her husband Jason has married Glauce daughter of Creon king of Corinth and on top of that Creon banishes both Medea and her two sons. She swears bloody revenge sets about finding a way to kill them all.
She convinces Creon to allow her to stay one more day to put her plot into motion. Media also needs to secure a safe place to to retreat once she’s committed the murders and it so happens that Aegeus king of Athens passes by who swears to give her safe harbour if she cures his sterility (can’t make children.
She fools Jason into believing that she’s now cool with his new marriage. She begs him to ask Glauce if their two sons can stay in Corinth and she gives him a gossamer gown and a golden crown to sweeten the deal for Glauce. Jason and the children trot off to the palace with hope in their hearts.
A messenger returns and tells Medeaall about the horror she has wreaked. When the Princess put on the gown and crown her entire body caught fire and the flesh melted from her bones. Creon seeing his daughter was so distraught that he threw himself over her body and died as well. Only one thing left to do to leave Jason totally devastated- kill their sons.
The murdering of her children isn’t easy for her- she shows motherly instincts but in the end revenge is more important. She drags the boys inside the house and kills them with a sword. Jason arrives but is too late. They both curse each other he begs to have his children’s bodies so that he can bury them. She refuses this also and takes them away with her as she flies away triumphant.
Written around 431 BC and set in Corinth
Medea had a natural passion for revenge
The play revolutionised revenge tragedies by letting its heroine off the hook
What happens:
At the beginning Medea is in dire straits, her husband Jason has married Glauce daughter of Creon king of Corinth and on top of that Creon banishes both Medea and her two sons. She swears bloody revenge sets about finding a way to kill them all.
She convinces Creon to allow her to stay one more day to put her plot into motion. Media also needs to secure a safe place to to retreat once she’s committed the murders and it so happens that Aegeus king of Athens passes by who swears to give her safe harbour if she cures his sterility (can’t make children.
She fools Jason into believing that she’s now cool with his new marriage. She begs him to ask Glauce if their two sons can stay in Corinth and she gives him a gossamer gown and a golden crown to sweeten the deal for Glauce. Jason and the children trot off to the palace with hope in their hearts.
A messenger returns and tells Medeaall about the horror she has wreaked. When the Princess put on the gown and crown her entire body caught fire and the flesh melted from her bones. Creon seeing his daughter was so distraught that he threw himself over her body and died as well. Only one thing left to do to leave Jason totally devastated- kill their sons.
The murdering of her children isn’t easy for her- she shows motherly instincts but in the end revenge is more important. She drags the boys inside the house and kills them with a sword. Jason arrives but is too late. They both curse each other he begs to have his children’s bodies so that he can bury them. She refuses this also and takes them away with her as she flies away triumphant.