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Greek Tragedy: Medea

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki


Medea
File:Meedeea.png
Medea

Artist: William Wetmore Story (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1819–1895 Vallombrosa)

Date: 1865; carved 1868
Written byEuripides
GenreGreek Tragedy

Search Greek Tragedy: Medea on Amazon.

'Medea' is a Greek tragedy that was created in 431 BC and was created by Euripides. Euripides is known for Trojan Women (415 BC), Hippolytus (428 BC), and Medea (431 BC). The play, Medea, is based on the myth of Medea and her husband, Jason, specifically on the revenge of Medea against his husband for his betrayal for marrying Glauce, the princess of Corinth. This revenge is the killing of her sons that she bore through Jason. This play is also considered the best of Euripides’ plays and is one of his famous works.

Additionally, when the play was presented in the Dionysia Festival (431 BCE), it won third prize. The reason why Euripides’ Medea won third prize is that the audience feedback was not so good at that time even if it is considered one of the best plays of Greece in the present day. This may be due to the new changes that Euripides came up regarding Greek theaters, this includes criticizing Athenian society implicitly, showing disrespectful behavior for the gods, and adding indecisive chorus.

Overview of Greek Drama

Understanding why drama is the pinnacle of art during classical antiquity entails the understanding of that era’s religion. Greek religion strongly associates the Greek gods in all aspects of human life. In fact, ancient Greeks strongly believed that the Greek gods were involved in all aspects of their lives: work, ritual, theatre, justice, politics, marriage, and battle (National Geographic, n.d). Relating to this, there is a notable Greek God that is closely associated with the Greek arts, mainly, theatre and drama. Greek theatre had its origins in rituals, especially harvest rituals (Childs M., 2015). These rituals were a chance to honor Dionysus. The establishment of Greek theatre paved the way for a type of enjoyment revolving on Greek theatre, and this enjoyment took mythology as the core of its content (Canadian Museum of history). Now, Greek mythology was always known to be of tragedy: The Twelve Labors of Hercules, Oedipus, and The Tale of Medea being some of the most notable ones. Now, these mythologies were very messed up because Greek Gods were known to be very emotional, and there was no proper set of moral conduct (USHistory.org, n.d.). Relating to this, Greek drama was the pinnacle of classical antiquity because it is heavily inclined to the religion and beliefs of the ancient Greeks classical antiquity.

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What makes a good tragedy?

Aristotle states that the following must be present to make a good tragedy: it is an imitation, it rouses fear and pity, it makes its watchers undergo catharsis, tragic pity, tragic fear from the image of humanity, and tragic wonder. To elaborate, Aristotle depicts a good tragedy as that which invokes the greatest of pity and fear from the depths of the human soul, all the while expressing the greatest of tragedies with relation to their makers (poets). Concluding, Aristotle views Greek tragedy as that of a mirror, reflecting our harbored laments, while Plato views it as a poison that seethes and destroys the body.

Aristotle emphasizes the necessity of combining all these elements for the poetry to attain a high level of excellence:
Plot: A tragedy should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, with a unity of action and a cause-and-effect progression that evokes emotions in the audience.
Character: The characters should be morally and psychologically complex, reflecting recognizable human traits and acting consistently with their personalities, enabling the audience to relate to their struggles.
Thought: Tragedy should stimulate intellectual engagement, raising important philosophical and moral questions that encourage contemplation of deeper meanings and universal truths.
Diction: The language used in a tragedy should be poetic, elevated, and appropriate for the characters and the situation. The dialogue should convey emotions, reveal inner thoughts, and contribute to the overall impact of the play.
Song and Music: Song and music play a vital role, enhancing the emotional impact and creating a harmonious atmosphere within the play.
Spectacle: While spectacle, including costumes, scenery, and special effects, is important, Aristotle emphasizes that it should not overshadow the other elements and should serve as a complement to the overall experience.


Plato and Aristotle's Views on Greek Tragedy

“Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action not of narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its katharsis of such emotions…Every Tragedy, therefore, must have six parts, which parts determine its quality-namely, Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Song/Melody, Spectacle.” — Aristotle

In order to understand the difference in views between Aristotle and Plato, one has to know that their stances are based on the question: what is just? Hence, what is the role of poetry in a just society? Plato views the word just as that of pure reason. Hence, poetry, that which is built from emotions does not align with Plato’s beliefs. Poetry has no place in Plato’s ideal society. Additionally, Plato deems poetry dangerous. Poetry evokes emotions, and those of lament avoid reason. On the other hand, Aristotle views poetry as a skill subject to rational rules–that poetry is not simply made out of inspiration. Aristotle also discussed that poetry is not only dangerous; it is also a form of healing, that which rouses the depths of sadness can heal us as we watch tragedy (catharsis).

Function of Drama in Greek Society

Ancient Greeks had many forms of their own entertainment but the most popular ones would be tales of drama and heroism within the Greek Pantheon. The Odyssey, The Labors of Heracles, and The Trojan War are just few of these many tales. The reason why such tales would be so popular can vary but historians believe that it comes down to a few main reasons; escapism, education, and entertainment (National Geographic, 2018).

According to an article written by Veron (2016), Greek dramas were also used as forms of communication from the higher status figures to the lower classes. People were easily swayed by what they observed and would often take whatever they have learned from these dramas into real life. Greek dramas as communication also allowed entertainment for the masses. It was common for ancient Greeks to be at odds during wartime so these dramas helped bring reprieve to the public.

Medea (the Play)

Medea in Myth and Folklore

Medea, daughter of King Aeetes and the princess of Colchis, is one of the few female characters in Greek mythology with supernatural abilities. In some iterations, she is also explicitly said to be the niece of the sea witch Circe. Medea is also the granddaughter of the Sun god Helios which means that she is also a relative of the sorceress Pasiphae and Perses the Gorgon Slayer.

According to the research of Historian Jarus (2022), in ancient Greece, it was also common for people to be wary of foreigners. Greeks would refer to anyone who was not of Greek descent as “barbarians” who were not educated in the way of man, even more so if they did not speak Greek. It created a riff between Greeks and of the world whom they did not trust at the time. This reflected in Medea’s story since she is the daughter of a nation foreign to the Argonauts who did not trust either (until Jason is able to triumph and claim the Golden Fleece thanks to Medea’s help).

Another possible factor would be that in ancient Greece, it would be uncommon for women to have powers of their own (Hemmingway, 2004). It was natural for Jason’s men to be wary of Medea since she is one of few powerful sourceresses. This same reaction can be seen from Odysseus’ men in The Odyssey when they first encounter the powerful sea witch Circe.

The Pivotal Scene: Medea's Heinous Act

Medea's plan

Numerous people died in the play, namely Glauce, King Creon, and then Medea and Jason’s children. Glauce, who was the daughter of King Creon, is the new bride of Jason, and he used that as an excuse or reason for marrying her, as he mentioned that they may remain poor if he does not marry the princess. Afraid of any chances of Medea taking her revenge against Jason, King Creon was supposed to banish Medea from his kingdom; however, after begging for mercy, she ended up getting one more day to stay before having to go away. Now with more time to prepare and also to find a place for herself and her children, she then plans for her revenge on Jason after leaving her, which is to kill him, King Creon, and his new wife Glauce (“Medea”, 2022).

Though in planning, something that she had to consider is how there may be nowhere to go if she ever does commit the act; however, King Aegeus offers her refuge as long as she is able to cure his inability to give children. Medea, now with protection, is able to finalize her plan as she reveals it to the chorus in the play. In there, she also mentions that she intends to kill her own children, and while the chorus attempts to stop her, Medea does not turn away from the plan that she has made.

The Pivotal Scene

With the plan continuing, Medea then offers a gift to Glauce, which is a dress and a crown; however, little does the princess know that the dress is actually poisoned. This ends up killing Glauce, and as King Creon is devastated with her loss, he ends up embracing her daughter. Due to the king embracing the dress, he ends up dying as well.

However, what really encapsulates how grievous Medea’s intentions are would be where she ends up killing her own children. At first, she had her own hesitations since losing her own children will affect her as well. Eventually, she pushes through with her plan. Once she enters her home and she is left alone with her children, she then kills them. The consequence of this is that now, Jason is forced to live with no one in his family and also her bride by his side, and not to mention, Medea felt no remorse for him at all, as he ends up leaving for Athens through flying there.

Relation to writing a tragedy

In writing a tragedy, there are six important elements, namely music, character, thought, plot, diction, and spectacle (Jonson, 2020). Medea follows most, if not all of the elements of writing a tragedy.

  • First off, music already exists here as there is a chorus of women in the play. They are also the ones who first understood the length of Medea’s actions at first, until eventually they did not as she was going too far, especially when she was reaching the point of killing her own children.
  • There are also numerous characters in the story, who are Medea, Jason, their children, King Creon, Glauce, and King Aegeus. Not to mention, they are all humans, but human action can sort of be away from this, as sorcery may not be something that is entirely possible.
  • Thought is also very evident in the story, as it was always mentioned how Medea has been planning to kill King Creon, Glauce, Jason, and her own children.
  • As for the plot, it clearly states a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning would be the part where Medea finds out about Jason’s new marriage, the middle would be the planning and also the deaths of Glauce and King Creon, while the ending would be how Medea killed her own children, and then left Jason for Athens.
  • Diction may not be applicable to Medea as a text, as it involves with how the language is delivered to the audience by the actors (“Aristotle: Poetics | Terms”, n.d.). If anything however, the whole text in its own right should be delivered in a very serious tone considering the weight of the plot that exists, as it involves intentions that are malicious, and also topics that are very serious.
  • Spectacle refers to how it can contribute to evoking sensory effects such as costumes, scenery, actors’ gestures, sound of music, and others (“Aristotle: Poetics | Terms”, n.d.). However, considering that tragedy can also be written as text, this also may or may not be applicable to Medea, depending on how the actors play their own respective roles.

Morality and Implications of the Ending

Medea’s ending can be considered a battle of morals versus emotions and versus logic and reasoning at some point in the play. Prior to the ending, it can be said that Jason broke Medea’s trust in him once he abandoned her after their exile with a politics-related plan of marrying Glauce, King Creon of Corinth’s daughter.

To add salt to the wound, the King demanded Medea and her children’s banishment from Corinth, due to her being a sorceress. Jason’s abandonment and indifference when she brought up the things she did for him, and her banishment from Corinth because of her “witchcraft” fueled her desire for vengeance as a reply to the disrespect and trust issues she received.

Her revenge plan is pretty simple – send her children to the palace to gift Glauce a poisoned golden robe meant to kill her. In addition, she planned to kill her children as well in a sadistic way to hurt Jason emotionally. After a while, it can be seen that Medea’s plan worked as intended through her messenger relaying this information to her. Not only did Glauce die, King Creon died from touching the robe as well. After contemplating whether or not to kill her children, she decided to kill them to avoid the impending punishment possibly laid upon them once Jason discovered the murders. Jason eventually discovers the murders and plans to punish Medea for being the perpetrator. However, before he could reach her, Medea is already riding on a chariot carrying her dead children – preparing to flee to Athens. She mocked Jason’s pain and prophesies something negative will happen to him in the future.

Medea’s murderous actions can be regarded as morally unacceptable since she committed murder to multiple people – that is if people have no knowledge about the drama. It’s rather morally ambiguous because Medea’s vengeance is driven by her emotions of despair and anger, and it’s understandable that she feels that way. Moreover, it also serves as Jason’s karma from his idealist and opportunist behavior, and betraying Medea. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that she murdered people, including her children. Regarding the logic and reasoning behind her intention in killing her children, her initial reasoning seems a bit illogical. There are other ways to make your ex-husband suffer emotionally, it’s unnecessary to bring your children into this mess. However, after realizing the potential negative outcomes of Glauce and Creon’s murder, her justification seems logical. Logical in the sense that by killing her children, they won’t have to suffer a punishment from Jason – which may lead them to suffer long, excruciating pain during the process.

To conclude, Medea’s actions are morally ambiguous – in the sense that her emotions matter in this drama and betrayal is intolerable, and murder is an immoral act.

Medea Today

How today's readers or audience might view the story of Medea and whether it would have the same reception as it did in ancient times

The story of Medea is a tragedy, a betrayal of a loved one. During the age of classical antiquity this is considered as the pinnacle of art, but those times has long passed. People’s taste, view, belief, etc. are different now than before. Now the audience can view it in a different light. Different cultures and time periods bring varying perspectives on gender roles, justice, and vengeance, influencing the audience’s understanding of the story. People can say that what she did is justified for she gave her all to her loved one but all she had been given is a betrayal, people may say that she has gone too far for the murder of her own children, people may empathize or sympathize with her.

The reception of the story won’t be the same as before, as time has passed since its pinnacle. There are significant changes to the people’s cultural, social, and moral norms over the past centuries. Today, the story of Medea continues to be appreciated and studied, but it is now being interpreted from modern beliefs and modern norms. While the universal themes of Medea, such as love, betrayal, and the consequences of extreme actions, can still resonate with audiences today, the overall reception and interpretation of the play are likely to be different from its reception in ancient times.

Excerpt/Scene Viewing or Watching

File:Medea video sc.png

Team Credits

Here is a breakdown of each group member's contributions to the output:

  • Samantha Michaela Origen Bautista: Answered the question about how today's readers or audience would view the story of Medea and sourced a video related to the topic.
  • Charlemagne Elliot Sigua Craw: Formatted the wiki page and discussed the pivotal scene in Medea.
  • Romeo Jezreel Vitug Diaz: Compared and contrasted the views of philosophers Plato and Aristotle regarding Greek tragedy. Also addressed why drama is considered the pinnacle of art during the age of classical antiquity and provided guidelines for what makes a good tragedy.
  • Yessamine Batua Mastura: Explained the function of drama in Greek society.
  • Andrea Claire Newman: Provided the brief summary of Medea, identified the author, and included other necessary information about the play.
  • Sophia Teruel Ramos: No specific contribution mentioned.
  • Almira Zabrina Alyson Velasquez: Formatted the wiki page and added additional information on what makes a good tragedy.
  • Jazmine Daphnee Co Villamora: Answered the question about the moral acceptability of the play's ending.

References


This article "Greek Tragedy: Medea" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Greek Tragedy: Medea. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.


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