Importance of oaths is emphasized in the play, so arguing that the people in this play don’t value oaths to some degree might not work.
Background experiences make it more severe.
What do we have? Arguments of both sides:
Jason says he doesn’t do a bad thing, Medea says he did.
Protagonist is a woman:
Jason doesn’t kill anybody.
Are the chorus necessarily unbiased/right?
Medea as mad? Justification for why she does it: that she loves them
Values causing him pain more than her children.
Crazy for killing? Are Medea’s decisions made out of craziness? Or is she rational?
Theater as entertainment: so big actions, bigger than we would expected. Amplified actions.
Amplified beyond what we’d expect…but relatable.
Euripides as playwright chooses for her to be the murderer.
Medea had to kill her brother because Jason took golden fleece and they were allbeing chased by the people of Colchis.
Medea keeps telling Jason: you left me because you wanted more power.
They’re living the life they are because of her. Still exiled if no cheating.
Argument: not Jason. But based on actions? Medea goes too far.
She takes her actions too far.
Argument—who’sright, who iswrong?
Actions: what is done: killings.
Hold killings to the same standard.
Killings in Greece…democracy: can’t keep wiping out each other’s families. This play=written during period of democracy
Killed brother as split decision in the moment.
View Jason in first half: we wouldn’t choose him till we heard his story, his morals. Why/how is he credible?
Context: before
Chooses, by the will of the gods (?)to love Jason. (contradiction? How can you choose when you’re forced by gods?)
Excerpt from Jason: included to make us think about Jason’s side.
Chorus of women—they understand the plight of women, side with Medea
Do we hold adultery and killing to the same standard?
Core of the story: act of adultery. Purpose is love.
Counter: Core of the story is hatred.
In love, or obsessed.
Goes to all to get back at him. Why kill children? No need.
Killing of children…not to make Medea look bad, but so that Jason would get the worst punishment possible, next to death.
Euripides wanted to show that men can’t just treat women poorly, expect dowries, leave friends and family, leave for better wife, just because they want it for themselves. Kills kids to make that point stronger.
Have to consider context of murder, why she does it.
Core not hatred or love, but Medea. Aside from title: focuses on her. Focuses on her development.
Nurse provides context. Chorus provides finality.