A Classis Greek Tragedy

A Classis Greek Tragedy

  • Submitted By: amberhill08
  • Date Submitted: 03/16/2009 8:03 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 850
  • Page: 4
  • Views: 440

Medea Medea is a play written by the very talented writer, Euripides, in 431 BCE. It is a classic Greek tragedy, full of deception, anger, and many odd surprises. One can be certain that there is never a dull moment in this play. Medea is a strong willed woman who gave up everything to be with her beloved Jason. Jason however, had no problem marrying another woman, and allowed Medea to go into exile. Furious Medea concocts a rather strange plan for revenge. Granted her intentions are not that subtle. The reader can easily see her pain and immediately begins to sympathize with her whether they want to or not. Sympathy is one of the uncontrollable emotions humans are given. No one really understands it they just feel it. Whether it is sympathy with a character in a story, a family member, a friend, or even one’s self, sympathy cannot be denied.
Within the first few pages Medea earns the readers compassion by screaming and crying at the top of her lungs, “I hate my life. How can I put an end to it” (lines 96-97). This statement reflects her despair, and by design the reader is forced to sympathize with her. Hysterically crying is one human characteristic everyone can relate to, one way or another. Medea is a woman ruined by betrayal in both aspects; she betrayed her family for a new family with Jason, and in turn her new family betrayed her. When praying to the gods Medea exclaims; “I have no mother, no brother, no relative to offer me a safe haven from this disaster” (257-258). The following statement permits the reader to gain more of an insight into her life and struggles. One can easily relate to this statement as well. There is a point in everyone’s life when they feel as if they have no one to run to. Relating to someone, or in this case the reader, enables Euripides as a writer, to play with human feelings and steer them in any direction he pleases. Looking more in depth at the plays content, one could even argue that Medea’s most effective method of...

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