Reading Guide/Comprehension Questions – MEDEA
Modern Humanities/Grad. Project 2013 – 2014
Name: ______Date: ______PD. ______
Directions: Read the play and then answer the following questions using complete sentences. Be sure to answer all parts of the question thoroughly in order to receive full credit.
1. What is the dramatic purpose of the Nurse’s speech in the beginning of the story?
2. What rumor has the Tutor heard?
3. What is the Nurse’s view of Jason’s behavior? The Tutor’s view?
4. How does the Chorus feel toward Medea?
5. How does Medea view her situation in Corinth? As a married woman and mother?
6. What order does Kreon give to Medea? Why does he make this decision?
7. When Jason arrives in the story, what criticism does he make of Medea?
8. How does Jason’s view of Medea’s helping him differ from her own?
9. When Aegeus arrives to visit Medea, what does he tell her about his trip to the Oracle?
10. What does Medea ask of Aegeus? What is his reply? What does Medea require Aegeus
to do, to believe his word?
11. What plan does Medea have to exact her revenge?
12. How does the Chorus respond to her plans?
13. How does Medea’s attitude toward Jason change in the second half of the story? Why?
14. While she accepts her own exile, Medea asks Jason to help her sons? How?
15. What gifts does Medea prepare for Jason’s new bride? How do they relate to her plan
for revenge? Who does she ask to deliver them?
16. What reasons does Medea give for why she should kill her children?
17. How do you know that Medea struggles with her decision to kill her children?
18. What concern does Jason express upon hearing of his children’s deaths?
19. According to Jason, why did Medea kill her children?
20. At the end of the story, what does Medea refuse to let Jason do? Why? What are her
plans?