Hi students,
If you do not already have an idea, look up a definition for “lyric poetry.”
A link with an introduction to Sappho:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/sappho
Here are a few links to help out with your reading of Medea:
http://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Tragedy/
http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/tragedy.htm -- includes comments from contemporary
authors.
A version of the text with footnotes - click on the number - they provide helpful
information:
http://www.stoa.org/diotima/anthology/medea.trans.shtml
And a few questions:
Where does the play take place ?
Who is Medea ? You can look this up. That said, what does the play tell us about who
Medea might be ? How is she characterized ? Be specific.
Who is Jason ? What perspective does the play seem to take on him ?
Is Medea’s anger understandable ? Does she have a legal claim ? An ethical or moral
claim ?
What information does the chorus provide ?
There are some comments about Euripides and the chorus here:
https://www.mcgill.ca/classics/files/classics/2004-02.pdf
What would seem to be the position of the play toward women ?
Did you notice anything happening in the plot around the notions of "Greek" and
"barbarian" ? How do these designations function in the play ?
What is the role of the "minor" characters in the play ? Why do you think the play is
constructed that way ?
What does the play say about agency, fortune, and fate ?
[Hint: What do WE think about agency ? If you are unfamiliar with this word, please
look it up.]
How does Euripides use history (that is to say, myth) in the play ?
Why do you think Euripides made the choices he did when writing the play ?
A bit about context: https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/node/1745
The painting on the next page, by Eugène Delacroix, depicts one moment in the Medea
story. Is this image surprising ? What has Delacroix emphasized ?
You can also look at the painting here:
http://www.wga.hu/html_m/d/delacroi/3/316delac.html
Click on the painting to enlarge.