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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does the Nurse send the children inside after hearing the Tutor's news?

2. What does Medea think about women who have been wronged by a lover?

3. What are the women of this play communally struggling against?

4. What will happen if Medea and her children are in Corinth at sunrise in two days?

5. What does the chorus tell Medea about men?

Short Essay Questions

1. Is there any indication that, as Medea claims, the gods know the crimes Jason has committed against her?

2. Is there merit to Medea's final justification to the chorus about why she must kill her children? Why or why not?

3. Does Aegeus have all the information he needs before he swears an oath to Medea? Explain.

4. How does Creon's compassion set up a contrast against the behavior of the protagonist?

5. Do you think, with the chorus being so sympathetic to Medea, that it undercuts her claims that her life is more difficult because she is a foreigner? Why or why not?

6. Do you think Aegeus will keep his oath to Medea if she kills everyone she plans to kill, and then seeks refuge in his land?

7. What happens that enables Medea to put her plans into action?

8. Is Medea reacting truthfully during the entire fight, or is she setting Jason up for her ultimate revenge?

9. It could be said that Medea represents a type of "Everywoman" as she comes to terms with her feelings over her husband's betrayal - do you agree or disagree with this assertion? Explain why.

10. Why is Medea's position as an outsider in Corinth so important to her and the chorus?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Shed light on how the "deus ex machina" mechanic is used by the author to change the audience's perception of Medea and her behavior. Does this seem natural within the play or contrived? Is it effective as a method for changing the audience's perception of the character?

Essay Topic 2

It appears as though, sympathetic or not, Medea is representing a type of "Everywoman" character. Argue for whether you believe Medea does or does not effectively represent an "Everywoman", using specific supporting details from the text to support your argument.

Essay Topic 3

Medea invokes the goddess Hecate as she formulates her plan for revenge. Examine why Euripides chooses to link this goddess with his protagonist, being sure to cover the following points; What is Hecate known for; why would Medea turn to this particular goddess; are there similarities between Medea and Hecate; does invoking this goddess alter how the audience views Medea?

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