📜
Eurpides’ Medea
Background
Ancient Athens
The ideal Athenian woman would be not seen or heard outside the home
Why were the lives of Athenian women so restricted in 5th century Athens?
Very small role in society, be very passive
Their role is defined by providing children
Focussed on their oikos and raising their children
How might we expect female characters to be depicted in tragedy?
We'd expect them to be domesticated, quiet, passive character
Obeying male authority figures of being punished by breaking them
Perhaps a lack of female characters
Surrounding Myths
Medea and and the Daughters of Pelias
Pelias was the king of Ioclus and son of Poseidon
When Jason and the Argonauts got the golden fleece and returned to Pelias he
refused to give up his throne to Jason
Medea, daughter of King Aeetes, who was in love with Jason made a plan to have
Pelias killed by his own daughters
She said to the daughters that she could give youth to anyone by cutting them up
and boiling them and they believed her
They cut their father up but he did not come back to life
Eurpides’ Medea 1
, In an alternative story instead of a ram she used Jason's father and it worked
After this, Jason and Medea were banished form Ioclus
Medea helping Jason in Colchis
Medea is the high preistess
Medea's father is the king
She kills her brother
Aeetes
Jason and Medea in Corinth
Medea kills her children on purpose to get revenge on Jason who cheated on her
May have been on accident, Medea trying to immortalise her children by burying
them
Medea in Athens
Medea flees to Athens and the Kings to give her shelter
She promises to give him a son
She finds out that the King already has a son called Theseus - Athens no.1 hero
She doesn't want the king to have a better son
She poisons him
Medea is mother of Medeios
Medeios may or may not be the son of Jason
The Medes are named after Medeios as a people who lives near the Persians
Medea never gets punished for what she does
Jason
Jason is the son of Aeson, King of iolcus
Aeson is usurped by his brother Pelias
Eurpides’ Medea 2
Eurpides’ Medea
Background
Ancient Athens
The ideal Athenian woman would be not seen or heard outside the home
Why were the lives of Athenian women so restricted in 5th century Athens?
Very small role in society, be very passive
Their role is defined by providing children
Focussed on their oikos and raising their children
How might we expect female characters to be depicted in tragedy?
We'd expect them to be domesticated, quiet, passive character
Obeying male authority figures of being punished by breaking them
Perhaps a lack of female characters
Surrounding Myths
Medea and and the Daughters of Pelias
Pelias was the king of Ioclus and son of Poseidon
When Jason and the Argonauts got the golden fleece and returned to Pelias he
refused to give up his throne to Jason
Medea, daughter of King Aeetes, who was in love with Jason made a plan to have
Pelias killed by his own daughters
She said to the daughters that she could give youth to anyone by cutting them up
and boiling them and they believed her
They cut their father up but he did not come back to life
Eurpides’ Medea 1
, In an alternative story instead of a ram she used Jason's father and it worked
After this, Jason and Medea were banished form Ioclus
Medea helping Jason in Colchis
Medea is the high preistess
Medea's father is the king
She kills her brother
Aeetes
Jason and Medea in Corinth
Medea kills her children on purpose to get revenge on Jason who cheated on her
May have been on accident, Medea trying to immortalise her children by burying
them
Medea in Athens
Medea flees to Athens and the Kings to give her shelter
She promises to give him a son
She finds out that the King already has a son called Theseus - Athens no.1 hero
She doesn't want the king to have a better son
She poisons him
Medea is mother of Medeios
Medeios may or may not be the son of Jason
The Medes are named after Medeios as a people who lives near the Persians
Medea never gets punished for what she does
Jason
Jason is the son of Aeson, King of iolcus
Aeson is usurped by his brother Pelias
Eurpides’ Medea 2
