The Grandadaughter of the sun
The Background 
Jason goes to Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece to regain his family’s throne. Aeete, the king of Colchis and guardian of the fleece won’t give it over unless Jason completes three tasks. Fortunately for Jason, Medea (Aeete’s daughter) has fallen in love with him. Being both the granddaughter of the sun and educated in magic, Medea assists Jason. Together the two overcome the three tasks and escape from Colchis, with Medea chopping up her younger brother to slow down their father.
Back at Iolcus, Medea rejuvenates Jason’s father and at the same time tricks Pelius’ daughters into killing him. The couple are forced into exile by law and settle in Corith where they have two children.
The Play
Medea is heard in the house grieving, wailing and swearing revenge because Jason has just declared that he plans to leave Medea and marry Glauke, the princess of Corinth.
Medea leaves the house and is calm and collect and laments the plight of woment:
*Women pay a high price for a husband (dowery)
*Women are expected to give their husbands full rule of their lives and bodies.
*Only later will they discover if the husband is ‘good’ or ‘bad’
*They are expected to obey, run the home and bear their husband children.
*The husband can have affairs or leave his wife if he is bored, this is unacceptable for a woman. Divorce is unacceptable.
Creon enters and demands Medea and her two sons leaves Corinth. Medea persuades him to let her stay for one more day. After he leaves, she reveals her plan to kill ‘them’.
Jason enters and debates with Medea. She is able to counter his argument (showing advanced skills of oratory, high intelligence and creativity). Jason claims:
* Aphrodite made Medea help him. It’s not his fault.
* She has benefitted from living in Greece. She is now amongst ‘civilised’ people.
* He is marrying Glauke for political and social reasons of advancement.
Jason leaves angry with Medea, claiming she is only being exiled because she threatened revenge on the royal family.
· Aegeus (King of Athens) enters and he and Medea greet one another as old friends. Medea gains Aegeus’ pity and support and makes him swear to house her safely in Athens after she has left Corinth. With a safe relocation confirmed, she reveals her plan to the audience. Kill not just Glauke and Creon, but use her children to do it and when they return, kill them.
· Jason returns, Medea mocks humility and persuades him to take the children to supplicate Glauke (and persuade her with gifts). She then will go to her father and speak on their behalf. Jason takes the children with the gifts to the palace.
· The tutor and children return, and the tutor announces the children are free from exile. Medea is silent to the news and appears torn and unhappy. Medea addresses the children alone for the first time and she tells them about all the things she will never get to do for them (e.g. prepare marriage beds). She has an internal struggle about if she’s going to kill them or not, and concludes that it is too late to back out now (the children will be blamed for Glauke’s death anyway – so by her killing them she is also saving them great tournament.
· Medea has an internal struggle about what to do, but concludes the children are to be blamed for Glauke’s death anyway. She is the one who should kill them, not the mob.
· A messenger enters and says Glauke’s face has been eaten off. Medea enters the house and the audience/chorus hear the children crying for help.
· Jason enters demanding to see Medea, who appears above the house in a golden chariot drawn by dragons. She claims boasts that she has destroyed him.
Jason goes to Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece to regain his family’s throne. Aeete, the king of Colchis and guardian of the fleece won’t give it over unless Jason completes three tasks. Fortunately for Jason, Medea (Aeete’s daughter) has fallen in love with him. Being both the granddaughter of the sun and educated in magic, Medea assists Jason. Together the two overcome the three tasks and escape from Colchis, with Medea chopping up her younger brother to slow down their father.
Back at Iolcus, Medea rejuvenates Jason’s father and at the same time tricks Pelius’ daughters into killing him. The couple are forced into exile by law and settle in Corith where they have two children.
The Play
Medea is heard in the house grieving, wailing and swearing revenge because Jason has just declared that he plans to leave Medea and marry Glauke, the princess of Corinth.
Medea leaves the house and is calm and collect and laments the plight of woment:
*Women pay a high price for a husband (dowery)
*Women are expected to give their husbands full rule of their lives and bodies.
*Only later will they discover if the husband is ‘good’ or ‘bad’
*They are expected to obey, run the home and bear their husband children.
*The husband can have affairs or leave his wife if he is bored, this is unacceptable for a woman. Divorce is unacceptable.
Creon enters and demands Medea and her two sons leaves Corinth. Medea persuades him to let her stay for one more day. After he leaves, she reveals her plan to kill ‘them’.
Jason enters and debates with Medea. She is able to counter his argument (showing advanced skills of oratory, high intelligence and creativity). Jason claims:
* Aphrodite made Medea help him. It’s not his fault.
* She has benefitted from living in Greece. She is now amongst ‘civilised’ people.
* He is marrying Glauke for political and social reasons of advancement.
Jason leaves angry with Medea, claiming she is only being exiled because she threatened revenge on the royal family.
· Aegeus (King of Athens) enters and he and Medea greet one another as old friends. Medea gains Aegeus’ pity and support and makes him swear to house her safely in Athens after she has left Corinth. With a safe relocation confirmed, she reveals her plan to the audience. Kill not just Glauke and Creon, but use her children to do it and when they return, kill them.
· Jason returns, Medea mocks humility and persuades him to take the children to supplicate Glauke (and persuade her with gifts). She then will go to her father and speak on their behalf. Jason takes the children with the gifts to the palace.
· The tutor and children return, and the tutor announces the children are free from exile. Medea is silent to the news and appears torn and unhappy. Medea addresses the children alone for the first time and she tells them about all the things she will never get to do for them (e.g. prepare marriage beds). She has an internal struggle about if she’s going to kill them or not, and concludes that it is too late to back out now (the children will be blamed for Glauke’s death anyway – so by her killing them she is also saving them great tournament.
· Medea has an internal struggle about what to do, but concludes the children are to be blamed for Glauke’s death anyway. She is the one who should kill them, not the mob.
· A messenger enters and says Glauke’s face has been eaten off. Medea enters the house and the audience/chorus hear the children crying for help.
· Jason enters demanding to see Medea, who appears above the house in a golden chariot drawn by dragons. She claims boasts that she has destroyed him.
Themes
Women & Social expectation 
“No woman can be a criminal. To be a criminal one must be a man” – Nawal El Saddawi, ‘Women at point Zero’
As we know, women had certain roles in Greek society and certain expectations. Mothers/ Wives/ Submissive to husband/ ’preening’ the Oikos/ no involvement in the Polis. Medea has little resemblance to a classic Greek woman. She seems to have been ‘playing the role’:
Mother: Children were regarded as the possessions of their fathers. Medea regards the children as an extension of Jason. She is only able to possess them fully when she has killed them.
Wife: She played at the roll of being a wife. A self imposed prison. We are presented with Medea’s opposite in Glauke. Naivety, youth, easily pleased.
Submissive: As she demonstrates in her debates with various men, Jason was only successful in his quest because of her assistance. Similarly, her ability to engage in active debate (considered to be a polis activity reserved for men) and that she is able to win in debate and verbally extract what she wants from various men demonstrates her intelligence, courage, creativity and her lack of modesty or restraint when it comes to using her femininity.
Oikos: She steps out of the Oikos, which she now regards as empty. The home is just a building without Jason, who has similarly abandoned or sacrificed his children to the potential for other royal children. She was always to big for the oikos, she didn’t fit. So when she realises that her efforts have been futile, she destroys the it (an oikos destroyer)
Familiar bonds
Jason [Political/Social]
· Marriage, the incentive being the political advancement. This cannot be found with Medea and thus he turns to the royal family of Corinth.
Medea [Alien Concept/Self Imposed]
· Betrayed her father/ killed her brother/ tricked Pelius’ daughters into murder their father
· Self imposed à Marriage customs and expectations (e.g. Children) – Jason incentive
· Assisted by her grandfather Helios (The Sun God) – True family bond (for her)
· By the end of the play she is no longer a daughter, sister, wife or mother.
Creon [Traditional/loving]
· He banishes Medea as a father trying to protect his daughter - “I fear you”
· He throws himself down over Glauce when she is dying
Slaves
Most Euripidean tragedies begin with a monologue by a famous character from myth or legend. The Medea does not. Both the Nurse and the Tutor, pity Medea’s situation. Significant because slaves could be seen as figures who see everything. To be mocked by your slaves was a significant social comment. To be respected by them, a social comment.
“No woman can be a criminal. To be a criminal one must be a man” – Nawal El Saddawi, ‘Women at point Zero’
As we know, women had certain roles in Greek society and certain expectations. Mothers/ Wives/ Submissive to husband/ ’preening’ the Oikos/ no involvement in the Polis. Medea has little resemblance to a classic Greek woman. She seems to have been ‘playing the role’:
Mother: Children were regarded as the possessions of their fathers. Medea regards the children as an extension of Jason. She is only able to possess them fully when she has killed them.
Wife: She played at the roll of being a wife. A self imposed prison. We are presented with Medea’s opposite in Glauke. Naivety, youth, easily pleased.
Submissive: As she demonstrates in her debates with various men, Jason was only successful in his quest because of her assistance. Similarly, her ability to engage in active debate (considered to be a polis activity reserved for men) and that she is able to win in debate and verbally extract what she wants from various men demonstrates her intelligence, courage, creativity and her lack of modesty or restraint when it comes to using her femininity.
Oikos: She steps out of the Oikos, which she now regards as empty. The home is just a building without Jason, who has similarly abandoned or sacrificed his children to the potential for other royal children. She was always to big for the oikos, she didn’t fit. So when she realises that her efforts have been futile, she destroys the it (an oikos destroyer)
Familiar bonds
Jason [Political/Social]
· Marriage, the incentive being the political advancement. This cannot be found with Medea and thus he turns to the royal family of Corinth.
Medea [Alien Concept/Self Imposed]
· Betrayed her father/ killed her brother/ tricked Pelius’ daughters into murder their father
· Self imposed à Marriage customs and expectations (e.g. Children) – Jason incentive
· Assisted by her grandfather Helios (The Sun God) – True family bond (for her)
· By the end of the play she is no longer a daughter, sister, wife or mother.
Creon [Traditional/loving]
· He banishes Medea as a father trying to protect his daughter - “I fear you”
· He throws himself down over Glauce when she is dying
Slaves
Most Euripidean tragedies begin with a monologue by a famous character from myth or legend. The Medea does not. Both the Nurse and the Tutor, pity Medea’s situation. Significant because slaves could be seen as figures who see everything. To be mocked by your slaves was a significant social comment. To be respected by them, a social comment.
