From the dawn of European literature, the figure of Medea--best
known as the helpmate of Jason and murderer of her own
children--has inspired artists in all fields throughout all
centuries. Euripides, Seneca, Corneille, Delacroix, Anouilh,
Pasolini, Maria Callas, Martha Graham, Samuel Barber, and Diana
Rigg are among the many who have given Medea life on stage, film,
and canvas, through music and dance, from ancient Greek drama to
Broadway. In seeking to understand the powerful hold Medea has had
on our imaginations for nearly three millennia, a group of renowned
scholars here examines the major representations of Medea in myth,
art, and ancient and contemporary literature, as well as the
philosophical, psychological, and cultural questions these
portrayals raise. The result is a comprehensive and nuanced look at
one of the most captivating mythic figures of all time.
Unlike most mythic figures, whose attributes remain constant
throughout mythology, Medea is continually changing in the wide
variety of stories that circulated during antiquity. She appears as
enchantress, helper-maiden, infanticide, fratricide, kidnapper,
founder of cities, and foreigner. Not only does Medea's checkered
career illuminate the opposing concepts of self and other, it also
suggests the disturbing possibility of otherness within self. In
addition to the editors, the contributors include Fritz Graf, Nita
Krevans, Jan Bremmer, Dolores M. O'Higgins, Deborah Boedeker,
Carole E. Newlands, John M. Dillon, Martha C. Nussbaum, Christiane
Sourvinou-Inwood, and Marianne McDonald.
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