The Tragedy Of Euripides Medea - 1593 Words

Euripides’ Medea is considered, according to Aristotle’s Poetics, a tragedy. The play centers on Medea, an outsider and wife to Jason, who seeks to punish Jason for taking another wife. The play is considered a tragedy because it contains the three unities as well as the six elements of drama mentioned by Aristotle. Despite the fact that the does the play fits the criteria of what Aristotle considers tragedy, however, Medea is actually not a tragedy but tells the story about a successful revenge. In the Poetics, Aristotle has established a criteria consisting of four requirements that character must have to be considered the tragic hero. Medea, however, is not a tragic character because she does not possess two of the four requirements: goodness and correctness. Aristotle’s first requirement of goodness states: The persons wit[ have character ifin the way previousty stated their speech or their action reveals the moraI quality of some choice, and good character i f a good choice (Aristotle 130). Having a â€Å"good† character will allow provoke pity and fear in a tragedy. Medea however does not possess the â€Å"good† quality. She does not express it through the course of the play in her actions. In the opening of the play, the nurse makes it known that she wished that â€Å"the Argo never had set sail (1) which indicates the idea that the only time Medea was possibly good is before Jason set sail â€Å"to seek the golden pelt for Pelias† (6-7). Medea fell in love with him and because of itShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Medea By Euripides1968 Words   |  8 PagesThe characters in Medea by Euripides have no free will; the gods control all. Consequently, the concept, â€Å"Divine Double Bind,† described by the author Ruth Padel in Whom Gods Destroy as â€Å"Divinity issues prohibitions (do not kill your mother), forces you to break them, then punishes you for doing so† (215) explains perfectly the actions and ultimate fates of Medea, Jason, King Creon and his daughter, the chorus leader, and the two sons. Many of Medea’s actions, which offend the gods, and the subsequentRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Medea By Euripides1970 Words   |  8 PagesMedea The characters in Medea by Euripides have no free will; the gods control all. Consequently, the concept, â€Å"Divine Double Bind,† described by the author Ruth Padel in Whom Gods Destroy as â€Å"Divinity issues prohibitions (do not kill your mother), forces you to break them, then punishes you for doing so† (215) explains perfectly the actions and ultimate fates of Medea, Jason, King Creon and his daughter, the chorus leader, and the two sons. Many of Medea’s actions, which offend the gods, andRead MoreGreek Tragedy By Euripides Medea1646 Words   |  7 Pages Discuss the ways Greek tragedy authors addressed such topics as duty, honor, kingship, gender roles, and the other. Greek tragedy authors tend to use their writings as a means of social, political, and religious commentary. Both of the authors we read of, use their characters and the storyline development to test their reader’s moral boundaries. On the one hand, Euripides’ Medea emphasizes Greek thoughts concerning foreigners, and denounces Athenian social bases through his character’s traitsRead MoreThe Tragic Tragedy Of Medea By Euripides1844 Words   |  8 PagesIn  Medea  by Euripides, an unfortunate tragedy arose from devastating circumstances, centralizing around intense grief and rage. In the center of the horrific situation was Medea, who was the daughter of King Aeetes. She was the former wife of Jason, until he decided to abandon his family and duties as the head of the household by marrying Glauce, the Princess of Corinth. She murdered her children, Glauce, and Creon, the King of Corinth to satiate her overwhelming lust for blood and revenge. UndeniablyRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Euripides Medea And Ovid s Metamorphoses, Medea, And Juno898 Words   |  4 Pagespain they have caused. In Euripides’ Medea and Ovid’s’ Metamorphoses, Medea and Juno exhibit vengeance to defend th eir dignity. Primary Source In Euripides’ Medea, Medea is very furious because Juno left her and her children to remarry the princess. Medea does not accept the betrayal and demands punishment for leaving her after all she has done for him. Creon is aware â€Å"I’m afraid of you. You could hurt my daughter, even kill her. Every indication points that way†(793). Medea knew she was going to exileRead MoreEvaluation of Euripides Essay942 Words   |  4 PagesEvaluation of Euripides Euripides has met the conventions of Attic Tragedy up to a particular extent. Although he was often criticised for his work, he followed the structure and cycles of the traditional tragedy. However, his stance on the themes and ideas set him apart from the other writers. It is unreasonable to compare Euripides with the traditional writers of Attic tragedy without understandingRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Medea By Sophocles1611 Words   |  7 Pagesnecessary for a top-notch tragedy. While these norms may seem to be easily understood through the reading of Aristotle’s fine-tuned poetics, there is a different understanding that needs to be interpreted to truly grasp the significance and qualifications that makeup a good tragedy. Of the many tragedies that Euripides provides us with, I chose the tragedy of Medea to further analyze, and present a strong argument for why I think Aristotle would find Medea a top-notch tragedy. According to AristotleRead MoreMedea Character Analysis917 Words   |  4 PagesHow would you judge Jason for his betrayal of Medea, and Medea for the killing of their children? Explain why. My judgement for this particular issue is not primarily based on the actions of Medea killing her children, since that in my opinion is an unforgivable act, yet there is a sense of pity evoked within the complexity Medea’s character. Essentially, Medea had given up everything she had for Jason. Manipulated by Aphrodite and Hera in both the heart and mind to believe her feelings to be trueRead MoreAnalysis Of Euripides The Play Medea 1202 Words   |  5 PagesThe Greek playwright Euripides, who lived from 480 BC to 406 BC, had four victories as a Tragedian. A third of the â€Å"Big Three† of tragedians, Euripides was, in his time, less successful than both Aeschylus and Sophocles, who had 13 and 20 victories. Euripides’ writing was drastically different from that of the others. While playwrights like Sophocles wrote characters the way they should be ideally, Euripides wrote his characters truthfully and portrayed people as compassionate and cruel and complic atedRead More Love and Deception in Medea, by Euripides Essay507 Words   |  3 PagesLove and Deception in Medea, by Euripides There are many pieces of literature that may entail more than one theme throughout the story. The tragedy, Medea, by Euripides is very good example of this. Throughout this story, the themes of betrayal and love, revenge, and women’s rights arise. Euripides brings these points up to help the reader to realize that women are powerful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Betrayal is a very important theme throughout this story. Her husband Jason betrays Medea, when he abandons her