Quotes to learn for Medea:
Nurse:
"Jason's wickedness" (pity for Medea) and "poor Medea" (condemns Jason).
"The mind of a queen is a thing to fear" (no ordinary woman).
Note: Aristotle said in his poetics that a Greek tragedy should evoke both pity and
fear.
Tutor:
"Jason’s no friend to this house" (condemns Jason).
Chorus:
"The thing is common; why let it anger you?" (role of women).
"As a friend I am anxious to do whatever I can" (support Medea).
"I'll do as you ask. To punish Jason will be just" (condemns Jason).
"Your noble heart wins our goodwill" (character of Aegeus).
"How will Athens welcome you, the child - killer whose presence is pollution?"
(civilised Athens/ change of attitude towards Medea).
"And you, unhappy Jason, ill- starred in marriage" (change of attitude).
"This pitiable bloody-handed fiend of vengeance" (character of Medea).
Medea:
"Jason was my whole life; he knows that well" (love for Jason).
"Surely, of all creatures that have life and will, we women are the most wretched"
(theme of women).
"If some strong tower of help appears" (Aegeus).
"It’s royalty and power he's fallen in love with" (character of Jason).
"I know certain drugs whose power will put an end to your sterility" (manipulates
Aegeus).
"Let no one think of me as humble or weak or passive; let them understand I am of a
different kind: dangerous to my enemies, loyal to my friends. To such a life glory
belongs” (character of Medea).
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"This is the way to deal Jason the deepest wound" (revenge/infanticide).
"But we women - I won't say we are bad by nature, but we are what we are" (role of
women/Medea manipulates Jason).
"The gods, and my own evil-hearted plots, have led to this" (role of the gods).
"I understand the horror of what I am going to do" (calculated murder of her
children).
"You, as you deserve, shall die an unheroic death" (revenge on Jason/character of
Medea - triumphant).
"You grieve too soon. Old age is coming" (revenge on Jason/character of Medea triumphant).
Creon:
"You're a clever woman, skilled in many evil arts" (character of Medea).
"I love my country too - next only to my daughter" (kingship).
"I'm no tyrant by nature. My soft heart has often betrayed me" (weak character).
Aegeus:
"A brain like yours is what is needed" (character of Medea - clever).
"Was he tired of you? Or did he fall in love elsewhere? (represents male view).
Jason:
"You left that barbarous land to become a resident of Hellas, here you have known
justice: you have lived in a society where force yields place to law" (racism).
"Personally, unless life brings me fame, I long neither for hoards of gold, nor a voice
sweeter than Orpheus" (ambition).
"If my wife values me at all she will yield to me" (superior).
"If only children could be got some other way, without the female sex! If women
didn’t exist, human life would be rid of all its miseries" (misogynist).
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