Literary Criticism Modules

Marxism

Ancient Greece Social Classes

• The Corinthian King, and his family were at the top of the social pyramid
• The princess and her husband are next in the pyramid
• Following them would be the nobles, such as the messenger
• Medea & her children would be next in line with merchants and artisans
• At the bottom of the list is the nurse and the tutor (the servants)

Each character in the text is aware of economical representations of each social class. The more powerful ones have more money to buy expensive products. Jason himself said that the princess needed no more dresses; she had plenty. The less powerful ones, such as commoners struggle to even feed their families, which is what Medea has been reduced to. Servants are usually leftover criminals and those with large debts.

The way Jason described how he planned on marrying the Corinthian princess just for the wealth of it was very explicit. It's very clear that the princess and her family have enough riches to buy another state. None of the first family has to work for anything they want or need, except maybe the King (running a kingdom).

Mythology

Hera & Zeus
All kids not birthed by Hera but by Zeus receive hatred from the queen of the Gods.

This can relate to how Medea treats her children that she loathes. Only because of their father do they become victims of infanticide.

Displeased by the sight of her son, Hephaestus, Hera pushed him down Mount Olympus,

Although the children of Medea weren't pushed down a mountain, they were a shameful memory of her bad reputation and they were killed for it.

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