Essay Questions

How can this play be characterized?

This play is a fabula crepidata, or a Roman tragedy which has a Greek subject. The only surviving literature pieces which still exist today and belong to this genre all are written by Seneca. It is believed these types of plays were supposed to emulate the Greek plays, appreciated during the time when Seneca wrote his plays. These fabulas crepidatas were all set in Greece and followed the general Greek narrative. The major characters are often kings, queens, Greek gods and goddesses, and their quests are generally supernatural. All these characteristics are found in Medea as well, making it a fabula crepidata.

Why did Medea vow to get revenge against Corinth?

Before the beginning of the play, Medea was married to a man named Jason whom he helped in his supernatural quests. The two settled down near Corinth where they had two children together. In time, Jason realized he could never be happy by Medea's side and seduced Creusa, the daughter of King Creon. Jason is successful in his endeavor and the two are bound to be married. When Medea claims she wants revenge against Corinth, she does not mean she wants to hurt the innocent men living in the city. Instead, through this, she transmits the idea she wants to hurt its ruling class, the King and his heirs. By destroying the ruling class, Medea is also affecting the city as a whole because, without a King, the city would have most likely fallen into ruin in a short period of time.

Why is Medea told not to be courageous by her nurse?

Medea trusted her nurse above everyone else, especially after her husband betrayed her. When Medea expressed her desire to get revenge, the nurse tells her to be happy with her lot in life and not try to change her fate. This advice may be the author's way of transmitting his own stoic ideas through the play. Seneca is one of the most well-known stoic philosophers and he compiled many essays on this subject. In his opinion, misfortunes in life are unavoidable and a person's purpose is not to fight against them but rather to accept them as being inevitable and to do the best they can with what they are given. Medea in the play is not a stoic but rather lets herself be guided by her feelings and emotions. This proves to have deadly consequences for multiple characters in the play, including her own children.