Comparative Review: Euripides’ Medea and Seneca’s Medea - Justice

This essay offers a comparative review of Euripides' and Seneca's versions of Medea, highlighting key differences in their interpretations of the classic Greek tragedy. The analysis focuses on the portrayal of Medea, exploring how each playwright presents her character and motivations within the context of their respective societies. The essay examines the themes of justice, revenge, and the role of women, contrasting Euripides' feminist approach with Seneca's more sensual and Stoic-influenced perspective. It delves into specific plot variations, such as the death of Medea's children and the portrayal of Jason, to illustrate how each author adapts the source material to reflect their unique viewpoints and the cultural climate of their time. The essay also touches upon the presence of divine intervention and the influence of societal values on the presentation of Medea's actions and the justifications provided for them. The conclusion emphasizes the contrasting messages conveyed by each playwright regarding female agency and the complexities of justice in a male-dominated world.

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Comparative Review of Euripides’ Medea and Seneca’s Medea
Justice and Its Interpretations in Ancient Greek
Traditionally, Greek and Latin play writers were often known to adopt the plays of their
predecessors and alter them based on their understanding. Today, it may be termed as plagiarism;
however, in ancient Greek it was acceptable and often promoted by the great names or leaders. The
Medea of Euripides’ and Seneca are not very different from each other. The main story line of the
plays was very similar to each other, yet there were certain number of differences that were
identified in the story line, especially the introduction of the defiance of Medea in Seneca’s play. Are
women to be blamed for the actions of men? This is the question that forms the basis of the society
and the pressure it has exerted on women since the very beginning.
Euripides’ Medea is given more of a feminist approach where a wife with children is left by
her Man – Jason. Medea showcases her wit and revengeful nature when she murders Jason’s new
wife and her father through a plot that she weaves. On the other hand, Medea from the perspective of
Seneca is introduced by pleading to the gods to give her revenge for the actions of Jason. It can be
clearly witnessed that Seneca’s play was a sensual version of Euripides’ Medea. The former writer
focused on the character of Medea singularly while Seneca chose to make Jason a more appealing
figure, thus, giving a strong justification for the passion that Medea carried for him.
Medea is known to have killed her own brother for the sake of Jason and lived a happy family
life with Jason in exile until he decided to marry another for power and rise in station. Another major

contrast that can be seen in the two plots is the death of the children of Medea. While Seneca chose
to showcase that Medea kills her son in front of Jason and blames herself for the death of the
children, in Euripides’ version, Medea simply kills her children in the backdrop and blames Jason for
her consequences and sense of Justice. The plots are thus different in nature when it comes to
showcasing the character of Medea. Euripides’ portrays a stronger character for Medea while Seneca
chose to alter the same and weaken the character of Medea when she blames herself for the death of
the children.
Medea was a woman who needed justice for the position Jason had put her in. The difference
in the character of Medea showcased by the two writers may also be caused by the difference in the
society in which the two writers resided. It is clearly evident that the message that was desired to be
put across was that the women had to take control of their lives and defy the men who choose to
betray them. It was a way the writers chose to give the women strength and change the overall
thinking of the male driven society in which the plays were shown.
Another point of difference in the plots of Medea by the two writers is the presence of
sympathy for Medea in the music that was played in the background in Euripides’ play. Seneca
chose to use the reflection of Stoic morality to showcase the position of Media in the play. Although
the play of Euripides’ was considered to be a much more superior version of the play; however,
Seneca also took a high amount of claim for the alterations that the writer had done to the play later
on.
Seneca ensured that some intricate details of the play were different in the version that he had
written when compared to Euripides. For example, Euripides gave Medea one son and one daughter
while Seneca showed two sons for Medea. Seneca had also portrayed that Medea had not blamed
Jason for the pain that he had caused him but blamed Creusa and her father for whatever happened.
Euripides on the other hand showed that the actions of Medea were clearly done in hatred for Jason

and to hurt him for leaving her for another woman. The major difference that can be seen here is that
Seneca shows that Medea loved Jason even when he betrayed her whereas Euripides’s Medea is
shown to be much clearer headed and did everything in her power to hurt Jason for his actions. Jason
was a sensible man. The choice of another woman was clearly done by him and it wasn’t forced
upon him for which Medea must still remain loyal to him.
The two plays are thus majorly similar to each other when it comes to the injustice and
revenge of a woman against a loyal husband. The other details; however, have altered the very
message and picture of Medea that was shown by both the writers in a different place and in a
different era. A Male driven society in which the writers lived, Euripides was more courageous to
show that Jason was punished by every means by Medea for defying her but Seneca chose to portray
that Medea was so deeply in love with Jason that she did not see the flaws of Jason and blamed
Creusa and her father for the actions of Jason. The main factor to be considered is the message that
was being sent across by the writers through their actions.
To conclude the discussion, the presence of God was soundly placed in the portrayal of
Medea by Seneca since the play was rewritten to be shown in Rome. On the other hand, the focal
point of Euripides was to open the eyes of the women towards injustice and their rights. The plea of
Medea or Jason for the God’s justice was never showcased by Euripides. The focus of the former
writer was on feminism primarily. Although the plots by Seneca and Euripides were much and more
alike, there were considerable number of differences that altered the message to a certain extent and
made it an emotional journey that the viewers could not take rest from.

References
Anonymous. “Medea – Seneca the Younger – Ancient Rome.” Ancient Literature, 2019,
https://www.ancient-literature.com/rome_seneca_medea.html. Accessed 5th October 2019.
Anonymous. “Medea – Euripides – Play Summary – Medea Greek Mythology.” Ancient Literature,
2019. https://www.ancient-literature.com/greece_euripides_medea.html. Accessed 5th October 2019
Fyfe, Helen. “An Analysis of Seneca’s Medea”. Cambridge University Press, 2014,
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ramus/article/an-analysis-of-senecas-medea/
67557EBB2933A5E9E9933272D5737F9E#. Accessed 5th October 2019
Spark Notes. “Medea Summary by Euripides.” Sparknotes, 2019,
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/medea/summary/. Accessed 5th October 2019