Medea (Dover Thrift Editions) [Paperback]

Euripides (Author), Rex Warner (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0486275485 | ISBN-13: 978-0486275482 | Publication Date: April 19, 1993

One of the most powerful and enduring of Greek tragedies, Euripides' masterwork centers on the myth of Jason, leader of the Argonauts, who has won the dragon-guarded treasure of the Golden Fleece with the help of the sorceress Medea — whom he marries and eventually abandons. Authoritative Rex Warner translation.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Greek

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 47 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (April 19, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486275485
• ISBN-13: 978-0486275482
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( E ) > Euripides
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Greek & Roman
  • #18 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Theater > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best known tragedy of Euripedes., June 17, 1999

By 

R. D. Allison ([e-mail]) (Gainesville, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medea (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

This play is regarded by many as Euripedes' masterpiece and should be required reading of all educated people. It retells the tragic story of Medea, who had helped Jason in his quest, became his wife, gave him two sons, and feels betrayed since he is marrying the daughter of the ruler of Corinth (Jason has come to the conclusion that this is necessary to protect Medea and his sons since she is a barbarian). With horrible vengence, she kills the bride and the king and then kills her two sons. Euripedes depicts how much passion and vengence can overcome not only individuals, but those who strive to be rational. Men (and governments) can't ignore the influence of emotion, and even irrationality, on their decisions and actions, even when those actions may seem rational and just. Man has to remain flexible. The play also shows how emotions, anger, and unbridled fury can cause a person to do stupid and irrational acts. Euripedes is undoubtedly warning Athens with respect to the war that is going on with Sparta.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scorned Barbarian Woman Bent on Revenge, July 17, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Medea (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

This is one of those remarkable plays that feels like it was written just last week. Medea is the daughter of the evil King Aeetes in Colchis -- on the remote, eastern side of the Black Sea. She assists Jason in slaying the serpent that guarded the golden fleece, and fell deeply in love with him. (See Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica for a fuller treatment of the love episode at Colchis). She even killed her brother, Absrytus, on their way back to Greece.

Medea has one problem, however. Aside from the fact she is a witch, she is a barbarian, a non-Greek. The Greeks used the word "barbaros" to refer to all people who weren't Greek, because if they didn't speak Greek, it just sounded like "bar bar bar" to the Greeks.

So after Jason and Medea settle in together back in Greece, his homeland, he decides that his interests (and Medea's) are better served if he marries the daughter of King Creon of Corinth. Medea gets jealous, poisons the woman, and then kills her two children in revenge.

Medea is an absolutely riveting character, whose tragic problems are those of all woman who have left their homes and families to follow men to foreign lands, only to be scorned by them in the end. The speeches of Jason and Medea are remarkable point-counterpoint presentations which reflect the deep influence of the sophists of Euripides' day. Medea sounds, at times, like a proto-feminist. She is one of the most enduring dramatic creations of all times, revealing with each line the remarkable genius of Euripides, the most modern of the three great Greek tragedians

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Euripides Ensemble, May 31, 2005

By 

The Kite (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medea (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

A murderous mother, a vain princess, a selfish husband, two unfortunate children, a naïve friend, a foolish king, and an inactive chorus are the key players in Euripides' morbid tale of humanity.Euripides brilliantly masks his agenda with the unreal (dragon-drawn chariot, poisoned dress, witchcraft) but upon close observation one can see his desire to unveil real problems in the world he lived in. All of Euripides' characters represent their stations, personifying the failure Euripides saw with males, females, citizens, authorities, and more. Reading through at a normal speed one will walk away feeling gloomy and none the better from the reading. But taking the time to delve into the mutliple levels and hidden meanings, one will find this old classic to be a rewarding yet chilling reading. Don't pass this up - Euripides DELIVERS!