Objectives

• Analyse how Euripides constructs Medea as both a sympathetic victim and a calculating agent of violence, using specific dramatic moments and quotations to support the argument.
• Explain how the Chorus of Corinthian Women functions as a moral barometer, tracking their shifting allegiances across the Parodos, the Stasima, and the Exodus.
• Evaluate how Jason's rhetoric in Chapters 3 and 5 exposes Euripidean critique of Athenian patriarchal and xenophobic values.
• Close-read the Messenger's speech in Chapter 11 to show how Euripides uses reported violence and sensory detail to generate tragic pity and fear.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical paragraph that embeds quotation, identifies dramatic technique, and connects a textual detail to fifth-century Athenian context (oikos, xenos, sophistic reasoning).

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: A Stranger in Corinth: Power, Exile, and the World Medea Has Lost

   55 min · ch. 1, 2, 3

   Do now

   Imagine sacrificing everything—your family, your homeland, your safety—for someone you love, only to be left for someone with more money. How would you envision justice in that situation? Jot down your thoughts in your book; you'll revisit them at the end of the lesson.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the Nurse's opening speech in Chapter 1 (lines 1–8: 'Would that the Argo's hull had never winged its way…'). Demonstrate to students how the repeated 'Would that…' phrases express grief as a buildup — each wish reverses a moment in the Jason-and-Medea story, allowing the audience to grasp the backstory through a series of losses before Medea herself appears. Annotate on the board: the Argo symbolizes male heroic ambition, Pelion's pines represent nature harmed by that ambition, and the Nurse's voice is the first of many female perspectives that the play favors over Jason's self-justification.

   Independent task

   Students will read Chapter 3 (lines 214–266, Medea's opening speech to the Chorus) on their own and write a PEEL paragraph that is at least 150 words. They should answer the question: "How does Euripides use Medea's speech to the Corinthian women to present her as both a spokesperson for all women and a uniquely dangerous individual?" In their paragraphs, students need to include at least two direct quotations from lines 214–266, labeling one dramatic technique for each quotation (such as rhetorical question, antithesis, or direct address). They should finish their paragraph with a sentence that connects Medea's argument to the Athenian idea of the xenos (outsider). Students will submit their paragraph on a half-sheet for teacher feedback.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, name one thing Medea says in lines 214–266 that an Athenian audience in 431 BCE would have found shocking, and explain in a second sentence why it would have been shocking given what you know about the role of women in the Athenian oikos.

2. Lesson 2: Jason's Rhetoric: Justification, Sophistry, and the Language of Betrayal

   55 min · ch. 3, 5, 6

   Do now

   Open to Chapter 5 (lines 446–626). Read only Jason's first speech (approximately lines 446–495) silently. Underline every word or phrase Jason uses that feels more like a legal argument than an emotional appeal. You have four minutes — don’t annotate yet, just underline.

   Teacher input

   Model a rhetorical analysis of Jason's speech at lines 522–531 in Chapter 5 ('You got more from me than you gave…'). Examine how Jason's use of transactional language — 'received', 'gained', 'brought you to Greece' — presents the marriage as a commercial exchange instead of a bond rooted in love or loyalty. This approach reflects the sophistic debate techniques familiar to Athenian audiences. Note the transition from second-person accusations ('you') to first-person assertions ('I brought you'), highlighting how this shift in pronouns underscores Jason's narcissism. Briefly connect this to Creon's banishment order in Chapter 3 (lines 271–276), where another male character employs rational language to mask an act of cruelty.

   Independent task

   Students will craft a comparative paragraph of at least 180 words that addresses the question: "How does Euripides use Jason's language in Chapter 5 (lines 446–531) and Creon's language in Chapter 3 (lines 271–290) to reveal the self-serving logic of male authority in Corinth?" In their paragraphs, students need to quote from both chapters, pinpoint a specific rhetorical or linguistic technique in each quote, and include at least one reference to the sophistic intellectual climate of fifth-century Athens in their analysis. This paragraph will be written in exercise books and peer-reviewed in the next lesson based on the success criteria displayed on the board.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence that completes the following claim and then justify it with a single quotation from Chapter 5: 'Jason's speech is more like a legal defence than an apology because…'

3. Lesson 3: The Chorus as Moral Compass: From Sympathy to Horror

   55 min · ch. 4, 6, 7, 8, 10

   Do now

   Take a look at the four Stasima mentioned in your chapter guide: Chapters 4, 6, 8, and 10. Without going back to read them entirely, jot down one sentence predicting the Chorus's feelings about Medea in each Stasimon, considering its position in the plot. You have four minutes to complete this task.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the Third Stasimon, Chapter 8 (lines 759–810), concentrating on the shift between the Chorus's admiration for Athens (lines 759–775) and their revulsion at Medea's intentions (lines 776–810). Explore how Euripides employs the ode's two-part structure — first celebration and then condemnation — to reveal the Chorus's moral turmoil as a theatrical moment. Highlight the phrase 'How will the city of sacred rivers / receive you?' as a question that involves the audience: Athens is being challenged on whether it will accept a child-killer, especially since Aegeus's offer of sanctuary in Chapter 7 has already indicated a yes. Here, Euripides forces his audience to grapple with their own city's values.

   Independent task

   Students analyze the Chorus's attitude towards Medea throughout all four Stasima (Chapters 4, 6, 8, 10) by filling out a structured table. For each Stasimon, they need to (a) pick a quotation that reflects the Chorus's perspective, (b) label that perspective with a single adjective (like 'sympathetic', 'fearful', 'complicit'), and (c) write two sentences discussing the dramatic purpose of that perspective at that point in the plot. Once the table is finished, students add a personal concluding sentence — without prompts — that addresses the question: 'Does the Chorus ultimately judge Medea, or does Euripides use them to make judgment impossible?' The completed table along with the concluding sentence is then submitted.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain why Euripides places the praise of Athens at the beginning of the Third Stasimon (Chapter 8) rather than at the end, and what effect that structural choice has on an Athenian audience watching the play at the City Dionysia.

4. Lesson 4: Spectacular Violence: The Messenger's Speech and the Limits of Tragedy

   55 min · ch. 9, 10, 11

   Do now

   Greek tragedy avoids depicting violence onstage, opting instead to report it. Euripides may have chosen to keep Glauce's death offstage to maintain a sense of dignity and evoke a more powerful emotional response; a graphic verbal description of her death could leave the audience feeling unsettled and haunted by the brutality they can't visually process.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the Messenger's description of Glauce's death in Chapter 11 (lines 1136–1177: from 'She saw the gifts…' to '…her father's corpse lay with her'). Annotate the sequence of sensory details — the gleam of the crown, the robe clinging like burning flesh, the foam at Glauce's mouth — and illustrate how the Messenger's speech builds through a series of present-tense verbs that render the past event feel immediate and unavoidable. Emphasize the moment Creon embraces his daughter's burning body (lines 1204–1221) and discuss how Euripides employs paternal love — a value that would resonate with the Athenian audience — to highlight the horror of Medea's revenge: even a king is not spared from its devastation.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a close-reading paragraph of at least 180 words on the following prompt: "Analyze how Euripides uses the Messenger's speech in Chapter 11 (lines 1136–1221) to evoke a sense of horror and inevitability." In your paragraph, make sure to quote and analyze at least two specific images or verbs from the speech. Discuss how the way the violence is reported (as opposed to being presented as staged action) influences the audience's emotional reaction. Additionally, link the deaths of Glauce and Creon to the theme of justice—consider whose justice is being enforced in this context and what sacrifices it entails. Students will write under exam conditions (no discussions allowed) and submit their paragraphs.

   Exit ticket

   Name one verb or image from the Messenger's speech in Chapter 11 that you found most disturbing, and write two sentences explaining precisely what makes it disturbing — focus on the word itself, not just the event it describes.

5. Lesson 5: Reason and Monstrosity: Writing a Sustained Argument About Medea

   60 min · ch. 3, 5, 9, 11, 12

   Do now

   Revisit Medea's powerful monologue in Chapter 12 (lines 1019–1080 in some translations; in this edition, the section starting with 'Why should I hurt their father through their pain…' in the Exodus). Spend three minutes annotating it silently, circling each instance where Medea expresses herself as a loving mother and enclosing every moment where she takes on the role of a strategist. There’s no need for full sentences — just make marks on the page.

   Teacher input

   To effectively open a sustained analytical essay, consider the first paragraph of a teacher-written sample response displayed on the board. The opening sentence establishes a key tension: "Euripides presents Medea not as a monster who abandons reason, but as a figure whose reason itself becomes monstrous." This statement sets the stage for a nuanced discussion. The second sentence then anchors this claim in a specific moment: it highlights Medea's use of the conditional "if" construction in her Chapter 12 monologue, where she evaluates her children's lives as variables in a logical proof. This approach of naming the tension before presenting evidence is crucial; it helps the essay avoid devolving into mere plot summary. Additionally, it illustrates how to seamlessly embed a quotation within a clause rather than presenting it as an isolated block.

   Independent task

   Students are to write a complete analytical essay of 400–500 words in response to the following question, presented exactly as it appears: 'How does Euripides portray Medea as a character of both reason and violence throughout the play? In your essay, you must address: (1) Medea's opening speech to the Chorus in Chapter 3 (lines 214–266), where you should quote and analyze at least one specific phrase; (2) her interaction with Jason in Chapter 5 (lines 446–531), comparing her reasoning to his; and (3) her monologue in the Exodus, Chapter 12, where you should quote the moment she makes her final decision and explain how Euripides renders that decision both horrifying and, in its own way, logical. Your essay must contain at least four embedded quotations overall, at least one reference to the play's dramatic form (such as the use of offstage action, the Chorus, or the messenger convention), and at least one sentence linking Medea's characterization to the sophistic intellectual climate of fifth-century Athens. Please write in continuous prose; avoid using bullet points or subheadings.' Students will write in silence for the remainder of the period and submit their essays at the door.

   Exit ticket

   Before you hand in your essay, write one sentence on the back of it answering this question: which of the three passages you discussed — Chapter 3, Chapter 5, or Chapter 12 — do you think provides the strongest evidence that Euripides wants the audience to understand Medea rather than simply condemn her, and why does that passage do that work more powerfully than the other two?

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 half-sheet paragraph: marker checks whether the student has identified Medea as both a universal spokesperson and an individual threat, and whether the xenos reference is explained rather than merely named.
• Lesson 2 peer-mark of comparative paragraph: students check that both chapters are quoted, that a technique is named for each quotation, and that the sophistic context is connected to a specific word or phrase rather than stated in general terms.
• Lesson 3 Chorus tracking table: marker checks that the chosen adjective for each Stasimon is justified by the quotation selected, and that the concluding sentence takes a position rather than sitting on the fence.
• Lesson 4 close-reading paragraph written in exam conditions: marker checks that the student analyses the language of specific images or verbs rather than paraphrasing the Messenger's report, and that the theme of justice is addressed with reference to a named character.
• Lesson 5 exit ticket on the back of the essay: marker checks whether the student can discriminate between the three passages — a student who simply says 'Chapter 12 because it is most dramatic' has not engaged analytically; a student who explains why the conditional logic of the monologue is more unsettling than the emotional outbursts elsewhere has demonstrated genuine critical thinking.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g. where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g. satire, irony, understatement).

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about an interpretation of literature and support it with evidence.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text, including connotative meanings and rhetorical devices.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character, including how characters develop, interact, and contribute to the meaning of a literary work.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view, including how the choice of narrator or speaker shapes meaning.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of structure in a literary text, including how the arrangement of parts contributes to meaning.

AQA

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, including the use of language, form, and structure.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Knowledge, understanding, and interpretation: demonstrate understanding of the text's meaning and the ways literary features construct that meaning.
• Criterion B — Analysis and evaluation: analyse how specific literary features (dramatic form, choral ode structure, messenger convention) create effects and contribute to the work's meaning.
• Criterion C — Focus and organisation: develop and sustain a coherent argument supported by relevant textual evidence.