Document Type

Paper

Publication Date

Spring 2020

Abstract

Euripides’ Medea ends with the godlike Medea heading in her chariot to the city of Athens, where her old friend King Aegeus has promised her shelter in return for her ability to help him have children. In light of Medea’s brutal murder of the Corinthian royal family, and her own children, the Athenians must now grapple with a question of immense consequence: do they honor their king’s word to protect this wretch from the many forces in this world who seek to harm her, or do they turn her away for her crimes? At the core of this question, however, lurks the unpredictable influence of love. The nature and power of love is a driving force throughout Medea, one that propels Euripides toward an unexpected and dangerous conclusion. Medea, when she arrives at Athens, ought to be treated with the deepest, most dutiful hospitality that the Athenians can offer her. She is in many ways the product of her poisoned love for Jason, but even in her darkest moment, moderate love stayed her hand for a brief moment. It is not harshness that resolves the problems raised by Medea’s twisted love—but rather the right kind of love.

Notes

Course: ENG 230, World Literature (Dr. Lorne Mook)

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