a1exander's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Moderate: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Misogyny
Minor: Infertility and Infidelity
thundrflap's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, Child death, Grief, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Violence
writerkit's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Child death, Violence, and Death
kayn22's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
He had it coming 🎶
Medea is the embodiment of gaslight, girlboss, and slay queen. Jason deserved it all, sad for the children tho.
Medea is the embodiment of gaslight, girlboss, and slay queen. Jason deserved it all, sad for the children tho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child death
tailwhip's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny
marianneiriss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, Child death, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, and Violence
zahrowl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Read this for my Literature class where we explored several themes and global issues depicted within the text.
Context
This play by Euripides was first performed in the Dionysia in Athens. It is not the oldest version of Medea, but it is the current most popular version. Medea did not actually kill her kids in the older versions -- she and Jason were accused of it. So by changing the story's elements, Euripides was essentially challenging the expectations of his original Athenian audience.
Medea's backstory
On their quest to find and retrieve the Golden Fleece, Jason and the Argonauts came to the island of Colchis (considered part of Asia back then, part of modern day Georgia). King Aeëtes of Colchis promised to give the fleece only if Jason could complete a set of tasks. Thankfully for Jason, he had gained Hera's favour in the past, so Hera gets Eros to shoot Medea so that she falls in love with him, also sending her dreams about Jason coming here for her hand in marriage. Medea is King Aeëtes's sorceress daughter, niece of Circe and granddaughter of the sun titan Helios. She gets very conflicted about helping Jason and betraying her family, but decides to help Jason in the end, giving him potions and instructions on completing the tasks.
During their escape after getting the fleece, the Colchians give chase and Medea distracts her father by killing and dismembering her brother Absyrtus along the way. Circe also magics away the guilt of the murder when they end up on her island. Eventually they get married and make it back to Thessaly to give King Pelias the Golden Fleece, but Pelias doesn't give the kingdom back to Jason, so the solution from Medea is murder once again. Since she and Jason are criminals and can't stay in Colchis or Thessaly, they head to Conrith and have some kids there.
This backstory is really important in the play, establishing that Jason has the favour of the Goddess of Marriage, Medea has sacrificed everything that she had for Jason, and that her worst fear is being abandoned for sacrificing everything for a stranger that does not even care about her.
Discrimination against foreigners
Medea as well as her nurse are foreigners to Greece, and Greece does not treat foreigners well, calling them barbarians. Jason brings this up to justify his adultery, saying that Medea should be grateful that she gained more that she gave in their marriage, because now she got to live in Greece and not that icky barbarian place she came from.
The fact that Medea is a foreigner also puts some distance between her and the chorus of Corinthian women, though one can still tell that over the years of living in Corinth, she has mostly assimilated into the community there and forged a strong connection with these women.
Oppression of women
Ancient Greece also did not treat women well, so Medea, the Nurse and the chorus all feel the pain. Medea exploits the expectations and stereotypes of women to her advantage, acting remorseful and emotional like she is in the wrong so that she is able to gain pity from King Creon and Jason as well as some favours such as staying for one more day before she is exiled. In the face of oppression and having reached rock bottom, she has no choice but to rely on herself and her intellect to power through her challenges and enact her revenge.
Vows and Murder
Despite all of her murders, everything that Medea has ever done was done with the approval of the gods. When Jason betrays his marriage vows, he's also betraying the favour of Hera. So Medea calls out to the gods for justice and goes ahead to enact it herself -- against the wishes of the chorus who tells her to wait and hope for the gods to do something themselves instead.
Medea's actions in her plan take away all of the things that Jason has: his Corinthian princess, the King Creon, his lineage with their children and eventually his life as she prophesizes that he will be killed by his greatest achievement -- the Argo. Medea is very conflicted about killing her children, knowing that it would hurt her more than it would Jason and even wanting to bring them with her, but she steels her resolve and does it. In the end, we sympathise with her enough to see through Jason's accusations at the end. Medea rises above the stage in a carriage sent by Helios using a stage device that is usually reserved for the gods, showing their approval of her vengeful actions.
My thoughts
I don't tend to think or feel too much about books honestly, but I do see how Medea reflects these themes of oppression and the sanctity of vows. These issues were a problem in Ancient Greece and continue to be problems today. While I have not seen a performance of the play, I do enjoy seeing Medea's intelligence at work in getting her revenge as well as the inner turmoil she experiences. So if you enjoy these themes and Greek mythology, I highly recommend this quick read.
Context
This play by Euripides was first performed in the Dionysia in Athens. It is not the oldest version of Medea, but it is the current most popular version. Medea did not actually kill her kids in the older versions -- she and Jason were accused of it. So by changing the story's elements, Euripides was essentially challenging the expectations of his original Athenian audience.
Medea's backstory
On their quest to find and retrieve the Golden Fleece, Jason and the Argonauts came to the island of Colchis (considered part of Asia back then, part of modern day Georgia). King Aeëtes of Colchis promised to give the fleece only if Jason could complete a set of tasks. Thankfully for Jason, he had gained Hera's favour in the past, so Hera gets Eros to shoot Medea so that she falls in love with him, also sending her dreams about Jason coming here for her hand in marriage. Medea is King Aeëtes's sorceress daughter, niece of Circe and granddaughter of the sun titan Helios. She gets very conflicted about helping Jason and betraying her family, but decides to help Jason in the end, giving him potions and instructions on completing the tasks.
During their escape after getting the fleece, the Colchians give chase and Medea distracts her father by killing and dismembering her brother Absyrtus along the way. Circe also magics away the guilt of the murder when they end up on her island. Eventually they get married and make it back to Thessaly to give King Pelias the Golden Fleece, but Pelias doesn't give the kingdom back to Jason, so the solution from Medea is murder once again. Since she and Jason are criminals and can't stay in Colchis or Thessaly, they head to Conrith and have some kids there.
This backstory is really important in the play, establishing that Jason has the favour of the Goddess of Marriage, Medea has sacrificed everything that she had for Jason, and that her worst fear is being abandoned for sacrificing everything for a stranger that does not even care about her.
Spoiler
Discrimination against foreigners
Medea as well as her nurse are foreigners to Greece, and Greece does not treat foreigners well, calling them barbarians. Jason brings this up to justify his adultery, saying that Medea should be grateful that she gained more that she gave in their marriage, because now she got to live in Greece and not that icky barbarian place she came from.
The fact that Medea is a foreigner also puts some distance between her and the chorus of Corinthian women, though one can still tell that over the years of living in Corinth, she has mostly assimilated into the community there and forged a strong connection with these women.
Oppression of women
Ancient Greece also did not treat women well, so Medea, the Nurse and the chorus all feel the pain. Medea exploits the expectations and stereotypes of women to her advantage, acting remorseful and emotional like she is in the wrong so that she is able to gain pity from King Creon and Jason as well as some favours such as staying for one more day before she is exiled. In the face of oppression and having reached rock bottom, she has no choice but to rely on herself and her intellect to power through her challenges and enact her revenge.
Vows and Murder
Despite all of her murders, everything that Medea has ever done was done with the approval of the gods. When Jason betrays his marriage vows, he's also betraying the favour of Hera. So Medea calls out to the gods for justice and goes ahead to enact it herself -- against the wishes of the chorus who tells her to wait and hope for the gods to do something themselves instead.
Medea's actions in her plan take away all of the things that Jason has: his Corinthian princess, the King Creon, his lineage with their children and eventually his life as she prophesizes that he will be killed by his greatest achievement -- the Argo. Medea is very conflicted about killing her children, knowing that it would hurt her more than it would Jason and even wanting to bring them with her, but she steels her resolve and does it. In the end, we sympathise with her enough to see through Jason's accusations at the end. Medea rises above the stage in a carriage sent by Helios using a stage device that is usually reserved for the gods, showing their approval of her vengeful actions.
My thoughts
I don't tend to think or feel too much about books honestly, but I do see how Medea reflects these themes of oppression and the sanctity of vows. These issues were a problem in Ancient Greece and continue to be problems today. While I have not seen a performance of the play, I do enjoy seeing Medea's intelligence at work in getting her revenge as well as the inner turmoil she experiences. So if you enjoy these themes and Greek mythology, I highly recommend this quick read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Xenophobia, and Sexism
therowdypi's review against another edition
dark
informative
fast-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Child death, Misogyny, Death, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, and Sexism
More...