Medea Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Part 1

1. What literary function does the Nurse serve by opening the play?

2. Does the Nurse find Medea sympathetic? Why or why not?

3. Why does the King of Corinth think it is a good idea to send Medea into exile?

4. Given that the audience would typically know the story before going to a play, why do you think the author chose to begin the play with heavy exposition?

5. What is significant about the Tutor's statement "that everyone loves himself more than his neighbor"?