Genre
Tragedy
Language
Latin
Setting and Context
1st Century Greece, in Corinth. As it is a tragedy, the location remains the same throughout the play.
Narrator and Point of View
While each character narrates their own lives, giving a variety of perspectives, the majority of the play is told by Medea.
Tone and Mood
The tone is angry and powerful. The mood moves from spite to melancholy.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Medea is the protagonist, Creusa is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict occurs when Medea's husband, Jason, abandons her in order to pursue his political dreams as this infuriates Medea and makes her hate both Jason and his new lover, Creusa.
Climax
The climax is when Medea curses Creusa's wedding dress, poisoning it and in doing so, killing both King Creon and Creusa herself.
Foreshadowing
The death of Medea's children is foreshadowed by Uncle Pelias' daughters killing him, as even though the roles are reversed, Medea's powers remain a constant throughout.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The play alludes to the biblical burning bush, as the cursed robe catches on fire, just like the bush did.
Imagery
While there is a variety of images throughout the play, the most prominent is the imagery of Medea's anger towards those that have hurt her and the power she feels she has when she takes revenge.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
There is a parallelism with Euripdes' version of Medea, as Seneca's version was written after Euripdes had published his. Both discuss the difficulties and lack of justice that Medea has, so there is a clear parallel between them.
Personification
N/A
Use of Dramatic Devices
Chorus is essential to any tragedy, and throughout the play, the chorus highlights the anger and fury experienced by Medea. Seneca also uses the chorus to portray the moral hardship that Medea is faced with.
