Medea and the Chorus

Medea and the Chorus The exchange that takes place between Medea and the Chorus serves several purposes in Euripides' tragedy, The Medea. It allows us to sympathize with Medea in spite of her tragic flaws. It also foreshadows the tragic events that will come to pass. Finally, it contrasts rationality against vengeance and excess. The Chorus offers the sane view of the world to the somewhat insane characters of Medea, Jason, and Creon. As the …

…a civil exchange takes place for quite some time. Much of the rest of the play is spent on bickering, begging, and bad-mouthing. Whether you view Medea as a femme fatale or a tragic hero, her progression from pain to anger to violence is very representative of human nature. Most humans are capable of the excessive behavior demonstrated by Medea; fortunately, most of us live more by the moderate and rational terms of the Chorus.