This is a play by Euripides. It is in GB Volume 5. The newsletter post is here.
Medea
Metadata
- Author: Euripides
- Full Title: Medea
- Category:books
- Summary: In Euripides’ “Medea,” the main character feels deep sorrow as she contemplates the fate of her children, whom she fears will suffer because of her husband’s betrayal. She plans to send gifts to his new bride to persuade her to spare their lives. Medea is torn between her love for her children and the pain of her exile, fearing she will never see them again.
People in the play
- Nurse of Medea, Creon, Attendant of her children, Jason, Medea, Aegeus, Chorus of Corinthian Women, Messenger, The Two Sons of Jason and Medea.
Highlights
- hate will have no easy task to raise o’er her a song of triumph. (View Highlight)
- She, poor lady, hath by sad experience learnt how good a thing it is never to quit one’s native land. (View Highlight)
- for dreadful is her wrath; verily the man that doth incur her (View Highlight)
- Art learning only now, that every single man cares for himself more than for his neighbour, some from honest mo- tives, others for mere gain’s sake? (View Highlight)
- wild fancies stir your mother’s heart, wild fury goads her on. Into the house without delay, come not near her eye, approach her not, beware her savage mood, the fell tempest of her reckless heart. In, in with what speed ye may. For ‘tis plain she will soon redouble her fury; that cry is but the herald of the gathering storm-cloud whose lightning soon will flash; (View Highlight)
- but no man hath found a way to allay hated grief by music and the minstrel’s varied strain, whence arise slaughters and fell strokes of fate to o’erthrow the homes of men. (View Highlight)
- greatness that doth o’erreach itself, brings no blessing to mortal men; but pays a penalty of greater ruin whenever fortune is wroth with a family. (View Highlight)
- Of all things that have life and sense we women are the most hapless creatures; first must we buy a husband at an exorbitant price, and o’er ourselves a tyrant set which is an evil worse than the first (View Highlight)
- For divorce is discreditable to women, nor can we disown our lords. (View Highlight)
- if thou shouldst import new learning amongst dullards, thou will be thought a useless trifler, void of knowledge; while if thy fame in the city o’ertops that of the pretenders to cunning knowledge, thou wilt win their dislike. (View Highlight)
- I would gladly take my stand in battle array three times o’er, than once give birth. (View Highlight)
- Back to their source the holy rivers turn their tide. Order and the universe are being reversed. (View Highlight)
- how unruly a pest is a harsh temper. (View Highlight)
- ‘Tis no proof of courage or hardihood to confront thy friends after injuring them, but that worst of all human diseases—loss of shame. (View Highlight)
- No, but you women have such strange ideas, that you think all is well so long as your married life runs smooth; but if some mischance occur to ruffle your love, (View Highlight)
- When in excess and past all limits Love doth (View Highlight)
- come, he brings not glory or repute to man; but if the Cyprian queen in moderate might approach, no goddess is so full of charm as she. (View Highlight)
- for there is no misery that doth surpass the loss of fatherland. (View Highlight)
- Let no one deem me a poor weak woman who sits with folded hands, but of another mould, dangerous to foes and well-disposed to friends; for they win the fairest fame who live their life like me. (View Highlight)
- for it is but natural to the female sex to vent their spleen against a husband when he trafficks in other marriages besides his own. (View Highlight)
- and after all this ‘tis far from clear whether on good or bad children they bestow their toil (View Highlight)
- Nay, by the fiends of hell’s abyss, never, never will I hand my children over to their foes to mock and flout. (View Highlight)
- And amongst mortals I do assert that they who are wholly without experience and have never had children far surpass in happiness those who are parents. (View Highlight)
- The childless, because they have never proved whether children grow up to be a blessing or curse to men are removed from all share in many troubles; (View Highlight)
- (View Highlight)
- for amongst mortals no man is happy; wealth may pour in and make one luckier than another, but none can happy be. (View Highlight)
- For she must hide beneath the earth or soar on wings towards heaven’s vault, if she would avoid the vengeance of the royal house. (View Highlight)