The Chorus In Medea Essay

A passage that divulges a play’s resolution, fluctuation between 3rd and 1st person that expresses a character’s perception and a foreword that constructs the tone of a play are all illustrations of the broad impact that a certain structure of a tale can have. In Euripides’ Medea, the inclusion of the chorus in the structure of the play serves as an essential instrument designed for a vast array of uses. The chorus foreshadows imminent events, reveals cultural and contextual information, enlightens characters on foregoing events and provides commentary on Medea’s actions.
The interaction amongst the chorus and the play’s primary characters reveals pivotal contextual information pertaining to the play’s setting, Ancient Greece. To illustrate,
the chorus, in the initial stages of the play, denounces the wretched cries of Medea upon her awareness of Jason’s affair by exclaiming: “suppose your man gives honor to another woman’s bed. It often happens. Don’t be hurt. God will be your friend in this. You must not waste away grieving too much for him who shared your bed” (Medea 6). The metaphor of Jason giving “honor to another woman’s bed” illustrates his contemptible infidelity and affair for the vain purpose of individual gain. The visual image of “waste away” symbolizes Medea’s palpable decay due to Jason’s infidelity. The image further represents the manner in which Greek husbands viewed their spouses as mere waste. By consoling Medea through the phrases, “don’t be hurt” and “it often happens”, the chorus reveals the ubiquity of infidelity and the subservience of Greek women in Ancient Greece. Furthermore, their statement, “god will be your friend in this”, discloses the immensely spiritual nature of Ancient Greeks. The utter nonchalance of the chorus, upon news of Jason’s infidelity further divulges the extent to which wives often became numb to their husband’s love affairs, due to its persistent occurrence. Furthermore, the interjection of the chorus into the plot of the play, serves as a fundamental plot device that foreshadows impending events.
For instance, subsequent to Jason leaving with his attendants to deliver Medea’s gift to Glauke, the daughter of Kreon, the chorus cries out: “the grace and the perfume and flow of the golden robe will charm her o put them upon her and wears the wreath, and now her wedding will be with the dead below” (Medea 32). The visual image of the “grace and the perfume and the glow of the golden robe” symbolizes the opulence of the Greek bourgeoisie and the blatant trickery of Medea, who will fatally deceive Glauke. The image further evokes a profound sense of irony due to the fact Glauke would glaringly succumb to Medea’s antics upon a tainted backdrop of luxury and splendor. Gold in Ancient Greece was regarded as an emblem of immortality and thus it is ironic that she died, cloaked in a golden robe. The image of the “dead below” represents the souls of perished mortals who Glauke would hastily transform into. Essentially, the chorus accurately foreshadows the scenario of her brutal death prior to its occurrence. The excerpt represents the superstition that was rampant in Ancient Greece and the potent influence of mysticism: charms and spells, to the extent to which mysticism became a vital component of their myths, legends, tales and
plays. Although the chorus is not endowed with immense transformative power in the play, it does play the role of an essential character that inherently enlightens other characters of themes and events in the play. To demonstrate, subsequent to Medea’s brutal murder of her two children, Jason approaches Medea’s dwelling furiously and the chorus informs him of the antecedent events: “Your children are dead and by their own mother’s hand. You must wake up your mind; your children are no more. Open the gates and there you will see them murdered” (Medea). Then, Jason insolently asks, “you woman standing close in front of this dwelling, is she, Medea, she who did this dreadful deed, still in the house?” The visual image of “house” represents Medea’s harbor and refuge from committing the atrocious actions of murder. The symbol of “gates” symbolizes a barrier obstructing Jason’s path towards attaining the truth pertaining to the solemn passing of his children. The adverb of “deeply” reveals the utter magnitude of Jason’s agony due to Medea’s barbaric deeds. Ultimately, the interaction between the condescending Jason and the chorus reveals the societal standards of Ancient Greece concerning gender roles: man treated a woman as though she was merely a sexual entity, designed for solely procreation and domestic errands. The chorus valiantly rebels from these standards however, by ordering Jason to “wake up his mind” and “open the gates”. A woman ordering a man was regarded by Ancient Greek men as a peculiar and abnormal rarity and a direct infringement of the unwritten laws of conduct. Furthermore, the chorus plays the role of an essential consultant to Medea and a commentator on her malevolent actions.
The chorus, throughout the play, shifts from initial sympathy to profound condemnation of Medea. Originally the chorus was greatly sympathetic towards Medea stating: “This I will promise, you are in the right Medea. In paying your husband back. I am not surprised at you for being sad. The metaphor of “you are in the right” represents the chorus’ initial feelings towards Medea’s plan of attaining Medea: they regarded her plan as ethically and morally warranted. The metaphor of “paying your husband back” represents Medea’s crafty plan for revenge .As the tale progresses however, the chorus outwardly denounces Medea’s actions: “O your heart must have been made of rock or steel you who can kill with your own hand the fruit of your own womb” The metaphor of Medea’s heart being made of “rock or steel” represent’s the chorus’ eventual outlook and judgment of her character. They now resent Medea as wretched and utterly vile due to her monstrous actions. The symbol of “fruit of your womb” symbolizes Medea’s fallen children and portrays them as innocent and sweet like a fruit: a drastic juxtaposition to the monster that the Chorus believes Medea had become. The chorus, in its initial consolation to Medea, essentially states the bottled-up feelings of Greek women, who were incessantly enslaved by the brutal manacles of oppression, objectification, and
patriarchy. Ultimately, Euripides utilized the chorus as a fundamental tool intended to enhance the play. The chorus foreshadowed imminent events, provided contextual and cultural information pertinent to Ancient Greece, informed characters on prevenient events and commented on Medea’s actions. The chorus and its peanut-gallery persona, bears a striking similarity to the chorus in Antigone, authored by Sophocles. Like in Medea, the chorus in Antigone, which is composed of old Theban men, is designed to expound on themes expressed in the story, through extensive commentary. Furthermore, both choruses’ opinion on central characters drastically transforms as the play progresses. The chorus in Antigone initially applauds King Creon but then critizize his erratic behavior whilst the chorus in Medea initially supports Medea but then heavily deprecate her actions. Moreover, both provide contextual and cultural information pertaining to patriarchal societies. Ultimately, throughout the course of history, there have been numerous bodies of literary work that featured choruses, utilized for a broad array of rationale.