Euripides is writing this play in Athens in the 400s B.C., while Seneca is retelling the same story in Latin to the Romans about 500 years later. Some consider Medea to be the first ‘feminist’ play of ancient times, as Medea is the true protagonist with Jason playing secondary to her. These two works are the more prominent versions of the play, known for the significant differences between them despite both focusing on the same myth; one being Seneca’s Medea progressing much faster than Euripides’. The biggest difference of note between Euripides’ and Seneca’s versions of Medea, is how Medea herself is characterized and presented to the audience. Euripides’ version of Medea is portrayed as a solemn and tragic woman that has suffered slight after slight against her, someone who was meant to …show more content…
She has a dominating presence, present on stage in each act and speaking over half of the lines, the start of play showing her praying to the gods to satisfy her urge for vengeance. She is bold and outspoken in her hatred and sees herself as a vengeful spirit who’ll punish those who have wronged her, taking her fate into her own hands. Medea is much more god-like herself, compared to the more humanized Medea show by Euripides, even suggested to have some powers that influence events shown in the play. Seneca portrays Medea as mystical and supernatural, having far more power in this version of the play, and is the first character presented to the audience. She is the source of all plot changes, making things happen herself and is directly involved. She demands revenge from the gods from the very beginning, and does not hesitate as she seeks to fulfill her desires. The Chorus in Seneca’s version is more objective to the events they’re witnessing, but Medea doesn’t require sympathy from them, seemingly more enraged by them and feeds her