Medea is symbolic of the clever woman imprisoned in a world of men. Her intelligence inspires both suspicion and cautious admiration. In the end, her cunning becomes her supreme weapon in her quest for revenge. None of her enemies stand a chance against her supreme intellect. Medea shows that, without a doubt, the greatest power lies in knowledge.
Questions About Cunning and Cleverness
- What tactics does Medea use to manipulate those around her?
- How does Medea's intelligence make her dangerous?
- In what ways does Medea's superior intelligence ostracize her?
- How does Medea put her cunning to use in the play?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
The community's mistrust of Medea is heightened by the fact she's smarter than everybody else.
By depicting a foreigner as being smarter than all the Greek characters, Euripides defies Greek prejudice against foreigners.