Penny Dreadfuls, 1912 · page 109 of 118
The Medea — page 109: what you’re looking at
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This is a notes page (page 93) from what appears to be a scholarly edition or commentary on a classical Greek play—likely Euripides' *Medea*, based on the references. The text consists entirely of running prose annotations explaining two passages: first, a note on the Chorus's inaction in the final scene, and second, a detailed analytical note examining the multiple psychological and emotional motivations behind Medea's decision to kill her children. The commentary argues that her actions stem from many conscious and subconscious reasons rather than a single stated cause, citing specific line numbers and page references throughout.
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NOTES 93 P. 56, 1. 976, CHorus.]—The inaction of the Chorus women during the last scene will not bear thinking about, if we regard them as real human beings, like, for instance, the Bacche and the Trojan Women in the plays that bear their name. Still there is not only beauty, but, I think, great dramatic value in the conventional and almost mystical quality of this Chorus, and also in the low and quiet tone of that which follows, 1. 1081 ff. P. 59, Il. 1021 ff., Why does Medea kill her children ?]|—She acts not for one clearly stated reason, like a heroine in Sardou, but for many reasons, both conscious and subconscious, as people do in real life. Any analysis professing to be exact would be mis- leading, but one may note some elements in her feeling: (1) She had played dangerously long with the notion of making Jason childless. (2) When she repented of this (1. 1046, p. 60) the children had already been made the unconscious murderers of the princess. They were certain to be slain, perhaps with tortures, by the royal kindred. (3) Medea might take them with her to Athens and trust to the hope of Aegeus’ being able and willing to protect them. But it was a doubtful chance, and she would certainly be in a position of weakness and inferiority if she had the children to protect. (4) In the midst of her passionate half- animal love for the children, there was also an element of hatred, because they were Jason’s: cf. 1. 112, p. 8. (5) She also seems to feel, in a sort of wild-beast way, that by killing them she makes them more her own: cf. l. 793, p. 46, “ Mine, whom no hand shall steal from me away;” 1. 1241, p. 68, “touched of none beside.” (6) EGOMIIGe boo cS (E(0)