Medea Quiz
Why does Medea not want to give her children's dead bodies back to Jason?
She doesn't want her enemies to dig up their bodies and mutilate them.
What is the purpose of the Nurse's speech in the beginning of the play?
She is lamenting the problems facing Medea while giving the audience some background about how Jason and Medea fell in love and what the current problem is.
What promise does Medea extract from Aegeus regarding her sanctuary?
She makes him promise not to hand her over to her enemies if they come looking for her.
Who brings the crown and robe to the princess?
Medea and Jason's children
Why do the Corinthean women show up at Medea's house?
They want to offer her advice and support her.
How did Jason earn his fame?
getting the golden fleece
What were Medea's plan options to kill Jason and his new bride?
1. set the bridal suite on fire, 2. sneak into their house and stab them, 3. poison them
What are the two gifts that Medea sends to the princess?
A golden tiara/crown/diadem and a woven robe
What city-state is Aegeus king of?
Athens
Where do Medea and her children currently live?
Corinth
What peoples make up the chorus?
Corinthian women
Who does Jason give credit to for saving him/helping him?
He credits Aphrodite.
Where is Aegeus returning from when he runs into Medea?
He is returning from the Oracle at Delphi.
What has the Tutor overheard while he had the children at the park?
He overheard that Creon was going to kick Medea and her children out of Corinth.
Why does Jason come looking for his children at the end of the play?
He wants to try to save them from being punished for the princess's and Creon's deaths.
Why did King Aegeus go to the Oracle at Delphi?
He was seeking answers to why he was sterile and couldn't have kids.
Why does Jason say he married the princess?
He was trying to move up the social ladder in order to gain wealth to provide for his family.
How soon can Jason become king of Corinth?
He would become king after the Creon dies.
Which god does Medea serve as a priestess?
Hecate
Who did Medea get her flying chariot from?
Helios
Who is Medea's divine ancestor?
Helios
Who is Medea responsible for killing?
Her brother, her children, the princess, and Creon
What happened to Pelias?
His daughters killed him because Medea convinced them he could be made young again.
What land was Jason supposed to inherit?
Iolchus
Why are Medea and the Corinthean women concerned about her banishment?
Medea has no place to go. She has made so many enemies that no one will probably accept her. She can't return home either because she killed her brother and betrayed her father.
What is Colchis?
Medea's homeland where Jason retrieved the golden fleece
Does the chorus support Medea in all her decisions?
No, they are against her killing her children.
What happens in the very beginning of the play?
The nurse comes on stage and cries out about how she wishes Medea had never met Jason and that their marriage is falling apart.
How do Creon and the princess die?
The poison on the gifts kills them.
What are some reasons Medea says women have it bad?
They get bought for a price as a bride, they have no choice in the marriage, the woman loses say over her body, she can't divorce a man, and she has to learn the customs of his land.
When does Medea reveal her plans to kill her children?
after Aegeus offers her sanctuary in his land
What sentence does Creon hand down to Medea?
banishment
In the first part of the play, Medea talks about what?
death and how she wants to die
How does Medea make her escape?
on a winged chariot
The action of this play takes how long?
one day
How does Creon describe Medea?
smart, skilled in evil ways, angry about her husband's betrayal and someone to be feared
What is Medea's profession?
sorceress
How does Jason learn about his children's death?
the chorus tells him
Who announces the death of the princess and Creon?
the messenger
Why does Medea want to kill her children?
to get even with Jason and hurt him
How many children do Medea and Jason have?
two sons
