Medea - Backstory
by Brian Cook
1. Authorship
1.1. who?
1.1.1. Euripides
1.2. when?
1.2.1. 431 BCE
2. Connections to Historical Athens
2.1. Revenge
2.2. Arete
2.3. Justice
2.4. social status/hierarchy
2.5. redemption
2.6. mythological in tone
2.6.1. interference of the gods / connection with mortals
2.7. medicine / sorcery / magic
2.8. Jason and Medea as immigrants?
2.9. loyalty / citizenship
2.10. Medea's extremism as a critique of vengeful gods
3. Tragedy
3.1. Jason
3.2. Medea
4. Characters
4.1. Medea
4.1.1. two children
4.2. Chorus of Corinthian Women
4.3. Aegeus
4.3.1. King of Athens
4.4. Creon
4.4.1. Glauce
4.5. Jason
4.5.1. Golden Fleece
5. Plot
5.1. Relationship to Religion
5.1.1. Medea's Grandfather is the Helius
5.2. where
5.2.1. Corinth