{"id":75,"date":"2008-09-22T01:12:21","date_gmt":"2008-09-22T05:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/2008\/09\/22\/language-the-compiled-version\/"},"modified":"2008-09-22T11:26:09","modified_gmt":"2008-09-22T15:26:09","slug":"language-the-compiled-version","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/2008\/09\/22\/language-the-compiled-version\/","title":{"rendered":"Language (the compiled version)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Language as an Indicator of Theme and Background<\/strong><\/p>\n

Throughout Medea, Euripides uses repetition of certain words to enforce Medea’s attitude and final actions. The following words are repeated in the text:<\/p>\n

-Hate
\n-Hatred
\n-Savage
\n-Wild
\n-Vengeance
\n-Fury<\/p>\n

Euripides also uses word choice to create imagery that compares Medea to an animal. These words include:<\/p>\n

-Pounced
\n-Wild
\n-Lioness.<\/p>\n

The time period of the text is shown through the characters’ vocabulary and jargon.<\/p>\n

Words that are unique to the time period include:<\/p>\n

Guest-friends- When rich and powerful men form ties or bonds of trust with their peers<\/p>\n

Spear-friends- Used to describe kings of chiefs in armed alliances with one another (allies)<\/p>\n

Wedding Room- The bedchamber of a husband and wife<\/p>\n

House- An all-encompassing word for family (The word ‘family’ did not exist.)<\/p>\n

Aiai- Medea uses this word as a cry of pain and mourning<\/p>\n

Language as a Tool for Character Development<\/strong><\/p>\n

Euripides uses language to define his characters.
\nIt is evident through word choice that the Nurse and the Chorus recognize Medea's fierce and cunning nature. Medea is stubborn and is driven toward her goal of revenge. When speaking about Medea, the Nurse says, "She lends as deaf an ear to her friend's warning as if she were a rock or ocean billow." This comparison draws a distinct image of Medea for the audience. The nurse continues, "She will not cease from her fury till she have pounced on some victim."Tis as I said, my dear children; wild fancies stir your mother's heart, wild fury goads her on. Into the house without delay, come not near her eye, approach her not, beware her savage mood, the fell tempest of her reckless heart. In, in with what speed ye may. For 'tis plain she will soon redouble her fury; that cry is but the herald of the gathering storm-cloud whose lightning soon will flash; what will her proud restless soul, in the anguish of despair, be guilty of?”\u00a0\u00a0The language used by the chorus reinforces many of the assertions made by the nurse.\u00a0 Throughout the play, the chorus\u00a0uses words such as fierce, fury,\u00a0and wrath when reffering to Medea. \u00a0The development of Medea is furthered by Creon,\u00a0who uses the words “cunning woman” to describe her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While all of the language used to describe Medea greatly defines her character, it also highlights Jason’s tragic flaw.\u00a0 While the nurse uses words like “lioness” to describe Medea, Jason talks about\u00a0“how unruly <\/a>a pest” her harsh nature is.\u00a0 He also comments that she could not control her “silly rage.”\u00a0\u00a0This use of language by\u00a0Jason greatly clashes with the rest of the characters in the play.\u00a0\u00a0While the other characters are truly worried about how Medea will react to Jason’s abandonment of her, Jason’s language suggests that she is not a threat to him at all.\u00a0 This is a direct indicator of Jason’s tragic flaw, which is to be\u00a0misled by his own desires and wishes.\u00a0 Jason,\u00a0now royalty, cannot be bothered by his\u00a0past wife’s objection to the path he has set aside for himself.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is noted that Creon does not use the common jargon that the other characters use. Creon’s speech establishes a different rhythm because he does not use any words that are broken up such as<\/p>\n

-mean’st<\/p>\n

-o’er<\/p>\n

-o’erreach<\/p>\n

-e’en<\/p>\n

-o’ercome<\/p>\n

Broken up words\u00a0are used by characters such as the nurse, Medea, the Chorus, Jason, and the messenger.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Language as an Indicator of Theme and Background Throughout Medea, Euripides uses repetition of certain words to enforce Medea’s attitude and final actions. The following words are repeated in the text: -Hate -Hatred -Savage -Wild -Vengeance -Fury Euripides also uses word choice to create imagery that compares Medea to an animal. These words include: -Pounced … Continue reading Language (the compiled version)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":336,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[706],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aristotle-language"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/336"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/script_analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}