Medea

# Essay Prompt: *Medea* by Euripides **Prompt:** In *Medea*, Euripides crafts a protagonist who is both a wronged woman and a calculating killer, challenging the audience to confront the boundaries of sympathy and justice. **Argue that Euripides uses Medea's acts of revenge not just as personal vendettas, but as a pointed critique of the patriarchal and xenophobic systems in Greek society that push her to such extremes.** In your essay, be sure to: - Analyze at least **two specific scenes or speeches** where Medea expresses her grievances towards Jason and the society of Corinth. - Examine how Euripides employs **dramatic irony, imagery, or characterization** to influence the audience's moral view of Medea. - Address the **counterargument** that Medea's actions detract from any sympathetic interpretation, and counter it with textual evidence. - Conclude by reflecting on what Euripides ultimately conveys about **justice, gender, and power** in the ancient Greek context. **Length:** 4–6 paragraphs (or as instructed by your teacher) **Format:** Formal literary analysis with a thesis, supporting evidence, and commentary

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# Essay Prompt: *Medea* by Euripides **Prompt:** In *Medea*, Euripides portrays his main character as both a wronged individual and a fearsome avenger, pushing the audience to feel both sympathy and condemnation for her. **Argue that Euripides depicts Medea's act of infanticide not merely as an act of villainy, but as the tragic result of a patriarchal society that systematically undermines her identity, agency, and sense of belonging.** In your essay, make sure to: - **Analyze** how Euripides presents Medea as a character stripped of social power — as a foreigner, a rejected wife, and a stateless exile — and how these overlapping injustices propel her toward violence. - **Examine** specific dramatic techniques (e.g., the conflict between Medea and Jason, the nurse's opening speech, Medea's soliloquies) that influence the audience's moral reaction to her actions. - **Evaluate** how Jason, Creon, and Aegeus exemplify the shortcomings of Greek civic and domestic institutions, and how their roles implicate society in Medea's crime. - **Consider** how the ending of the play — with Medea escaping unpunished in her chariot drawn by dragons — serves as either a condemnation or a justification of her choices. > **Thesis Guidance:** A compelling essay will go beyond simply categorizing Medea as "sympathetic" or "monstrous" and will instead present a nuanced argument about what her violence signifies within the world Euripides creates. **Length:** 4–6 pages (approximately 1,000–1,500 words) **Format:** MLA or as directed by your instructor

ap_lit · ib_lang_lit · aqa · classical_studies

# Essay Prompt: *Medea* by Euripides **Prompt:** In *Medea*, Euripides portrays his protagonist as both a wronged woman and a fearsome avenger, prompting the audience to feel sympathy for her while also condemning her actions. **Argue that Euripides presents Medea's act of infanticide not as a result of madness or divine influence, but as a calculated assertion of agency — a conscious choice that highlights the harsh restrictions placed on women in ancient Greek society.** In your essay, be sure to: - Analyze at least **two key speeches or scenes** where Medea clearly articulates her reasoning, showcasing her rational self-determination instead of a loss of control. - Explore how **Jason's betrayal and the patriarchal social structure** of Corinth deprive Medea of legal, social, and economic power, framing her violent response as a reaction to systemic powerlessness. - Address the **counterargument** that Medea's actions stem from passion (*thumos*) instead of reason (*logos*), and either refute or complicate this interpretation with textual evidence. - Reflect on how Euripides' depiction of Medea either **subverts or reinforces** Athenian gender norms, and what this reveals about the broader social critique within the play. **Length:** 4–6 pages (approximately 1,000–1,500 words) **Format:** MLA or as directed by your instructor **Textual Evidence Required:** Minimum of four direct quotations from the play

ap_lit · ib_lang_lit · aqa · classical_studies