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March 29, 2024, 08:57:49 am

Author Topic: How does the Chorus & other characters in the play challenge Medea's actions?  (Read 749 times)  Share 

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ally1784

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tiredandstressed

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The chorus condemning Medea
• Euripidides asserts through the Chorus just how important living life rationally is and given that the Chorus are the moral arbiters of the play, despite being all women who sympathize with Medea they were logical beings, not driven by passion like Medea, who they call "a wretched woman".
• Their withdrawal of support for Medea demonstrates them acting less emotional as they are "...not strangers to the Muse" the gods who were believed to be abundant in knowledge and act as a guiding spirit. Here, Euripides highlights that in ancient Athenian society, those who acted logically followed the gods, he portrays the role of the gods to justify to his audience that logic is essential, to live a pleasant life.
Thus, Euripides reinforces to the audience the importance of logic in one's life, and encourages the audience to repress excessive emotions.
The Chorus endorsing Medea's action
•   Through the Chorus the audience is directed to sympathise with Medea and women in general
•   Medea universalises her plight, eloquently outlining the troubles faced by women “Ladies of Corinth”
•   The Chorus side with Medea: “it is just that you should take revenge on your husband”
•   Hence, Euripides utilizes the role of the Chorus as the moral arbiters of play to emphasize to his audience that current social standards are unjust, and as such women should be treated with the same respect as men, since in the end Medea is able to escape the play free from punishment, by an “a chariot drawn by dragons”
As a result, Euripides criticizes the current social norms and highlights the power and respect women should have.


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