The nature of Greek society
We started talking about the nature of Greek society, including the forces that impacted an individual. There is a lot to think about, including what are
conflicting or contradictory points. Ponder all this in your development of an argument for the Medea essay. You want to consider the play in the context of
the history we have been discussing. Use lecture notes, the textbook, and primary source documents to support whatever your argument is. The essay is not
just “an opinion”—it is a perspective and argument based on the material you have in front of you, the evidence to support your perspective.
The key to a good essay is formulating a clear thesis. Think of a question about the play, then answer it. We are interested in the answer to your question, not
the question itself. Don’t ask questions in the paper, don’t speculate. I strongly suggest you send me your thesis paragraph by early next week. .
The paper is about more than Medea herself. It is about the society she lives in, the values that surround her, and the context of Western Civilization as we
have discussed it. To what extent does her life reflect or contradict the values and ideas of her contemporary Greek society? Think about everything we are
reading and discussing about the Greeks—laws, values, family, gender, the individual, the state. You cannot just say Medea is “bad,” any more than you can
say she did the right thing. Why? What is the judgment based on? The play is a complex argument, often sympathetic to women. The Chorus is also an
important factor, a “conscience” expressing itself.
