WLIT: 2323 Study Questions for MEDEA, HIPPOLYTUS, BACCHAE
1. Why is Medea so distressed at the beginning of this play? Why did Jason go to Colchis? 2. What argument does the Nurse make about greatness and justice in 115-130 (that is, does the Nurse assume that upper-class people are just?)? 3. What observation does the Chorus make about male adultery in 148-159? 4. Why, according to Medea (231-255), is the lot of women so unfortunate? Give several reasons. 5. What (465-518) has Medea done for Jason? How does he argue, in turn, that his new marriage is a good thing--and what does he argue about women's emotional state (576-575)? 6. What oracle has Aegeus received at Delphi? How does he agree to help Medea? (662-760)? 7. In 1019-1055 and 1236-1250, what reasons does Medea give to herself for killing her children? How does the Chorus react as the double murder is taking place? 8. What effect does the dress sent by Medea have upon Creon's daughter and Creon himself? 9. What sort of emotional reaction (initially) does Jason have to the sight of his dead children (1323-1350)? How, according to Medea, is Jason fated to die?
HIPPOLYTUS 1. To what goddess has Hippolytus devoted his life? Where does he spend all of his time? 2. What goddess has afflicted Phaedra, as a way of getting back at Hippolytus? What is the family relationship between Phaedra and Hippolytus? 3. What is the Nurse's first reaction when Phaedra finally confesses the object of her love? (350-360) 4. How has Phaedra attempted to deal with her passion, and what does she note about women and their reputation (380-414)? 5. How does Hippolytus react to the Nurse's suggestion that he sleep with Phaedra? What does he subsequently declare about women, and how does he wish the human race could reproduce (616-668)? 6. How does Phaedra die, and what message does she leave behind? 7. How does Hippolytus die, and what means does Theseus use to bring this about?
BACCHAE 1. How was Dionysus born, and how did Semele die? 2. How do Teiresias and Cadmus react to the worship of Dionysus? Do they condemn it, or do they join in? How, on the other hand, does Pentheus feel about Dionysus worship? 3. According to Teiresias (274-286), what two great blessings does mankind possess? What are the benefits of the second blessing? 4. Which social class does the Chorus especially associate with worship of Dionysus (416-432) 5. What does Pentheus say about the appearance of the "Handsome Stranger" (454-460)? What does he subsequently threaten to do to the Stranger (490-510)? 6. How does the Stranger release himself and his Bacchae from prison? What happened when the herdsmen attempted to seize Agave and the other Maenads on Mt. Cithaeron? (first messenger speech) 7. How does the Stranger persuade Dionysus to come with him to Mt. Cithaeron, and how must Pentheus be dressed? 8. What happens to Pentheus when he attempts to observe the Maenads (second messenger speech)? 9. What is Agave carrying when she returns to Thebes? What does Creon force her to recognize? 10. In what form does Dionysus, now fully revealed, predict that Cadmus and his wife Harmonia will return to Greece, and where will they finally end their existence (1330-1340)?
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