معلم: عشق نورسیده، دل بستگی های قدیم را از دل می راند.
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پرستار: اعتدال کلید طلایی سعادت است. فزون طلبی برای انسان فانی رحمت به همراه نخواهد داشت. ولی آنگاه که خدایان بر سر خشم اند، ثروت های بزرگ تر، ویرانی عظیم تری را بر خانه ها فرود می آورند.
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مده آ: در میان همه ی آفریدگان خدایان که زنده اند و دلیلی برای زندگی دارند، ما زنان از همه بدبخت تریم. نخست عشق مردی را با بهایی گزاف به دست می آوریم و سپس او را بر همه چیز خود، حتی بر بدنمان فرمانروا می داریم: این یکی، سخت سوزاننده تراز نخستین است.
و حال چالشی بزرگ را فرارویمان داریم و آن، این که مردی نیک هنجار را برگزیده ایم یا پلیدکردار.

Medea is a play about society, and how it deals with people who do not fit into the dominant cultural code.

It is about power, marriage, betrayal, hate and revenge as well, but the most important aspect is the typical fate of a strong and intelligent woman, following her husband to his home country. She is treated as an intruder and danger to society, mainly because she is different, and knows things other people do not want to see. She is the witch that narrowminded provincial men like to hunt, the threat to traditional family structures that scares the community to the point of becoming evil. She is the wronged women who has to bear the shame and the consequences of her husband's weakness and treachery.

I have thought of teaching the play with a global citizenship focus after seeing recent developments in the world, as being "foreign" once again has a great impact on your life, your perception in "mainstream" society, and your outlook on the future.



Medea is the archetype of a person who won't accept injustice without fighting back. The way she chooses to do this, according to Euripides, causes acute nausea of course, which might explain why her social suffering and fight against an oppressive mainstream community has not become more well-known and symbolic.

Christa Wolf came up with an interpretation of Medea that took away the guilt of infanticide and left the failure of the strong, vocal woman as the main focus. I liked that idea, as it is more acceptable to modern readers.

However, nothing beats Euripides' complex Medea in my eyes! The brutality of her fate matches the brutality of human beings and their response to change and diversity.

JASON
"Oh children, what a terrible mother you had."
MEDEA
"Oh children, how you were destroyed by your father's disease."

Medea did what she had to do folks. did she girlboss a little too close to the sun ? maybe, but she's Helios' granddaughter, what did you expect ?

Μου αρέσει πολυ να γραφω κριτικές για αρχαιες τραγωδιες ή φιλοσοφικά κείμενα διότι μπορω μιλησω για αυτα ελεύθερα χωρις να φοβαμαι μήπως και spoilerιασω καποιον μιας και ολοι ξέρουμε λιγο-πολυ το τι συμβαίνει στο εργο.





Η Μηδεια ειναι η γυναικα που σκότωσε τα παιδια της,αυτο το ξέρουμε ολοι.Γιατι σκοτωσε τα παιδια της το ξέρουν οι περισσότεροι αλλα το τι υπήρχε στο μυαλό και στην ψυχη της θα το μαθεις μονο αμα διαβασεις τα λόγια της στην αρχαια τραγωδια.Που ξέρεις,μπορεί και στο τέλος να την συμπαθησεις κιολας μια σταλια.

Το εργο ξεκιναει οταν η Μηδεια μαθαίνει πως ο αντρας της,ο γνωστός Ιάσων,αποφασιζει να παντρευτει την ομορφη,ξανθη και νέα κορη του βασιλιά της Κορίνθου Κρεοντα,απορρίπτοντας ετσι απλα την ίδια.Δεν χαιρεται για αυτο ισα-ισα κιόλας που πίκρα βαριά  φωλιαζει στην ψυχη της και ξυπνάει μέσα της την εκδίκηση.Κατηγορεί και απειλεί τον βασιλια και την κορη του,βρίζει την μοίρα της και καταριέται την γυναικεία φυση της για την κακοτυχία της.Τα φαρμακερα λογια της φτανουν εως τα αυτιά του Βασιλιά ο οποιος την διατάζει να εξαφανιστεί απο την πολη του,μαζι με τα παιδια της,αλλιως θα την σκοτώσει.Καπως ετσι φτανει στην απόφαση να παρει εκδίκηση.

Το διαβασα σε μια μέρα ή για να ειμαι ειλικρινής το ξεκινησα γύρω στις δεκα το βραδυ και το τελείωσα κοντα τα μεσάνυχτα.Εχει μπει στην λιστα με τα αγαπημενα μου αρχαια κειμενα και την προτεινω ανεπιφύλακτα.

Η Μηδεια ειναι ενας καλο γραμμένος χαρακτήρας που αγαπαει τον αντρα και τα παιδια της,ισως τον αντρα της ενα τσαααακ παραπανω,και που ειναι καταδικασμένη να ζει σε μια εποχη που τις γυναίκες δεν τις ειχαν σε εκτιμηση.Ερχεται αντιμετωπη με την προδοσία του αντρα της ο οποιος επιλεγει να παρει μια αλλη γυναικα οχι μονο πιο νεα αλλα και σε καλυτερη κοινωνικη θεση απο αυτήν και απαιτεί να το αποδεχτεί η Μηδεια και να ειναι ευγνώμων κιολας που εξαιτιας αυτου του γαμου τα παιδια τους θα εχουν εμμεση συγγένεια με την βασιλική οικογενεια.Εκτος απο παρατημενη,προδομένη και πληγωμενη είναι και μοναχη της μιας που η πατρίδα της βρίσκεται μακρυά και δεν έχει κοντα της κανενα δικο της ανθρωπο.Νιωθει απο παντου χαμενη και ξεχασμενη.

Συχνά μετα απο κάποιον χωρισμο σκεφτόμαστε τι έχουμε κανει για εκεινον τον ατιμο που μας πλήγωσε και πόσο κορόιδα πιαστηκαμε,ακριβως αυτο κανει και η Μηδεια που για να μείνει μαζι με τον Ιασωνα πρόδωσε τον πατερα της.Οποτε βαλε την προδοσία,βαλε την στεναχώρια και μέτρησε και την τρελα που της τριγυρνάει το μυαλο και θα καταλήξεις στο συμπέρασμα οτι η δυστυχια του ερωτα μπορει και να σε κανει δολοφονο.

Η Μηδεια δεν σκοτωσε τα παιδια της απο εκδικητική μανια,τα σκοτωσε για να τα γλυτώσει απο την μανια των εχθρων της οταν έρθουν να την πιάσουν για το φονο του Βασιλιά και της κόρης του,διότι στο τελος τους σκοτώνει.Η σκηνη του θανατου τους ηταν εξαιρετική.Στην τελευταία σκηνη του εργου ο Ιασων και η Μηδεια ρίχνουν το μπαλάκι της ευθύνης για το αποτέλεσμα της ιστορίας τους ο ένας στον αλλον,αυτο ηταν η μοναδική στιγμη που ξενερωσα κατα την διαρκεια της τραγωδιας.

Αυτο ηταν το δευτερο βιβλιο του διαβασα το 2016!

Stronger than lover's love is lover's hate. Incurable, in each, the wounds they make."
― Euripides

Euripides" revenge drama retells the myth of Medea, who, smitten by Jason of Argonaut fame, gives up everything, family and country, to help him capture the Golden Fleece. She even kills her brother. She does all this in exchange for the promise of marriage.

After ten years and two sons, Jason decides to leave her for a more advantageous marriage to a royal princess. Then, in a rage, she orchestrates the death of the princess and, inadvertently, her father, the King. Finally, Medea realizes that her children may pay the price for her deeds and decides to kill them herself rather than leave the act to individuals who may enact revenge more cruelly. This action, she surmises, will devastate the unfaithful Jason.

From the view of tragedy and play structure, this is an excellent drama. However, I found both protagonists unsympathetic, which hampered my ability to empathize and enjoy the audio production.

Differing Interpretations

I read the play as part of a course on Greek Tragedy and was surprised to learn that Medea did NOT murder her children in the original myth. Instead, according to the lecturer, Euripides added this action for dramatic effect. So I researched and found that contemporary retellings (Stephan Fry and Gustav Schwab) use Euripides as their only source. However, Robert Graves tells a different tale. He says that the Corinthians, enraged by the Princess's and King's deaths, stoned the children to death. Graves states:

'Mislead by the dramatist Euripides, whom the Corinthians bribed with fifteen talents of gold to absolve them of the guilt; many pretend that Medea killed two of her own children." (p.558).

هر وقت با آدمی سنگدل، همدل و همداستان شدی؛ منتظر عواقب هولناک آن باش!
گاهی عقوبت بسی سهمگین‌تر از گناهت خواهد بود، مخصوصاً اگر طرف مقابلت، مد‌ه‌آ و تو جیسون باشی!!!

از اینکه داستان نمایشنامه مده‌آ از اون زمان تا الان هنوز داره به زندگیش ادامه می‌ده، حیرت کردم. مخصوصاً به این دلیل که شخصیت‌ها از حالت خدایی در اومده بودن و نهایتاً ویژگیشون نامیرایی بود که اون هم در روند داستان تأثیری نداشت. اینطوری حس می‌کردم که فاصله بین من و مده‌آ کمتر از فاصله‌ام با شخص اوریپیده. رنج مده‌آ، دلایلش و در نهایت کاری که انجام می‌ده خصلتی کاملاً انسانی داره. واسه همه اینا خوندن این نمایشنامه برام خیلی جذاب بود.

بی نظیر بود!
بعد تر کامل تر چیزی مینویسم دربارش همینجا
:)

İhanete uğramış kadın, intikamını almak için neler yapabilir ?
Okuması oldukça keyifli bir tragedya.

Jason was a dolt. This basic bro believed his own hype and knew nothing, absolutely nothing, about women. He conveniently forgot that his whole reputation was owed to Medea’s sorcery, wisdom, and savagery. And he stupidly supplanted her in his bed for the King of Corinth’s daughter and the prestige that alliance brought him. His hubris would cost him dearly.

When Medea attempted to refresh Jason’s faulty memory, to remind him who had created his legend —

”I saved your life, and every Greek
knows I saved it,
Who was a shipmate of yours
aboard the Argo,
When you were sent to control the
bulls that breathed fire
And yoke them, and when you
would sow that deadly field.
Also the snake, who encircled
with his many folds
The Golden Fleece and guarded it
and never slept,
I killed, and so gave you the safety
of the light.
And I myself betrayed my father
and my home…
This is how I behaved to you, you
wretched man,
And you forsook me, took another
bride to bed…”

instead of taking heed, Jason damns her with slight praise, then claims that it is she who owes him:

”You are clever enough — but really I
need not enter
Into the story of how it was love’s
inescapable
Power that compelled you to keep
my person safe.
On this I will not go into too much
detail.
In so far as you helped me, you did
well enough.
But on this question of saving me, I
can prove
You have certainly got more from me
more than you gave.”

Not having dug his grave deep enough, he tells her that he’s doing all this for her benefit:

”Next for your attack on my
wedding with the princess:
Here I will prove that, first, it was a
clever move,
Secondly, a wise one, and, finally,
that I made it in your best interest and the
children’s.
Please keep calm.”

Oh no he didn’t!! He went there! He told a woman to calm down — and not just any woman, but a sorceress, a servant of the dark goddess Hecate, who savagely betrayed her own father and murdered her brother for love of him, a woman he had just heartlessly betrayed. He certainly wasn’t considered a hero because of his brains!

Medea, for her part, regrets that the gods don’t assist young women from choosing badly in love:

”Why is there no mark engraved
upon men’s bodies
By which we could know the true
ones from the false ones?”

And she swears her vengeance:

”It shall not be — I swear it by her,
my mistress,
Whom most I honor and have
chosen as partner,
Hecate, who dwells in the
recesses of my hearth —
That any man shall be glad to have
injured me.
Bitter I will make their marriage
for them and mournful…”

This is an ancient tale, so no worries about spoilers. Medea goes on to use her guile to poison the princess her rival, who dies horribly along with her father the king, then steels her heart against pity, and kills her own children, Jason’s sons, depriving him of all, even their little corpses. She then proceeds to make the most amazing boss exit ever, in a chariot pulled by dragons, while Jason helplessly watches on, still railing against her. To which she replies,

”Hate me, but I tire of your barking
bitterness.

Medea was a bad ass. Jason was a punk too stupid to see what he was messing with. Too bad about the kids, but Jason got what he deserved.

همین که نمایشنامه مده‌آ از ۴۳۱ پیش از میلاد تا به امروز مانده‌، خود دلیل قانع کننده ایست بر فوق‌العاده بودن آن.

فروردین۱۴۰۰

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Although this was first written by William Congreve in 1697 (not the Bible) the distant origins of the sentiment is frozen in human memory; but its earliest dramatic expression may have originated with Euripides. I think he just gave it words; the instinct of some women to be vindictive carriers of hellish wrath is innate. I have handled more than a few divorces where all parties involved – both attorneys and the husband – stood in open mouthed shock and amazement of how bats*** crazy mad the wife could be.

Damn, girl. Let it go.

Some women cannot. She has been wronged and God and all the angels are going to know about it. In Medea’s defense, Jason had it coming.

Euripides has created an archetype, a template upon which over twenty centuries of artists have contributed and added variation. But the origin is forged in a woman’s soul, and God help you if you get sideways of this capability for vengeance.

As good to experience now, and as relevant, as it was centuries ago.