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Das goldene Vließ #3
Medea
Franz Grillparzer (1791-1872) war ein österreichischer Schriftsteller, der vor allem als Dramatiker hervorgetreten ist. Grillparzer studierte an der Universität Wien Rechtswissenschaften. Ab 1821 arbeitete er im Finanzministerium, danach als Archivdirektor bei der kaiserlich-königlichen Hofkammer. Grillparzers poetische Anfänge wurden von der Romantik beeinflusst. 1817 wurde seine Schicksalstragödie Die Ahnfrau, welche alsbald über alle deutschen Bühnen ging, mit außerordentlichem Erfolg aufgeführt. Die Stärke Grillparzers lag in der Entwicklung des Liebesgefühls zu einer dramatischen Handlung, weshalb in gewissem Sinn die Tragödien Sappho (1818) und Des Meeres und der Liebe Wellen (1831) als seine vollendetsten Werke gelten. Von 1821 an, als im Wiener Hofburgtheater die Trilogie Das Goldene Vließ (1822) mit Erfolg aufgeführt wurde, zählte Grillparzer etwa ein Jahrzehnt lang zu den begünstigten Dramatikern. Zu seinen Werken zählen auch: Das Kloster bei Sendomir (1817), Ein Treuer Diener seines Herrn (1830), Der Arme Spielmann (1848), und Die Jüdin von Toledo (1855).
86 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1819
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About the author
Franz Grillparzer
658 books32 followersFranz Seraphicus Grillparzer was an Austrian writer who emerged primarily as a playwright. Because of the identity-creating use of his works, especially after 1945, he is also referred to as the Austrian national poet.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 25, 2017
First performed in 1821, Franz Grillparzer's "Medea" is a highly effective retelling of the story from classical mythology. Euripides is the first known author to have written a play on Medea. The highly resourceful lover of Jason, it is Medea who is largely responsible for Jason's success in his pursuit of the Golden Fleece. Jason will marry Medea only to later abandon her for a more advantageous marriage. In revenge Medea will kill the two children that she has born Jason
Medea as translated into English by Theodore Miller is a powerful and dramatic work. The dialogues are excellent. Medea's transition from bullied for in Jason's Corinth, to discarded lover and then to savage infanticide is brilliantly handled.
Grillparzer's play addresses the issues of betrayed love, disorganization, renunciation, adultery - and before and above all, the fear of not being able to be the old person in marriage anymore.
Grillparzer's Medea has been called the first modern "conjugal tragedy"( Ehetragödie) by German critics. It still seems very modern and is still being staged in Germany. This play is well worth the time required to read it. It is clearly one the most important theatrical works of the first half of the nineteenth century.
Medea as translated into English by Theodore Miller is a powerful and dramatic work. The dialogues are excellent. Medea's transition from bullied for in Jason's Corinth, to discarded lover and then to savage infanticide is brilliantly handled.
Grillparzer's play addresses the issues of betrayed love, disorganization, renunciation, adultery - and before and above all, the fear of not being able to be the old person in marriage anymore.
Grillparzer's Medea has been called the first modern "conjugal tragedy"( Ehetragödie) by German critics. It still seems very modern and is still being staged in Germany. This play is well worth the time required to read it. It is clearly one the most important theatrical works of the first half of the nineteenth century.
August 14, 2019
Un libro attuale, toccante, che riesce a farti empatizzare con i personaggi nella loro sofferenza.
December 10, 2023
A Modern Retelling
4 December 2023
I’m not quite sure if I can call this play a re-imagined version of Euripides’ Medea, though as it turns out Grillparzer did write a trilogy based on the Ancient Greek story. Actually, it turns out that he had written some other plays based on Greek mythology as well, though it seems that it is pretty difficult to actually get copies of other plays, at least in English, which is a real shame. I would have quite liked to have seen how he explored the Greek myths.
Well, I do have this one, and of course I have read it (which is why I am writing something about it). My thoughts about it is that it just feels like a rewriting of the Ancient Greek tragedy for a more modern production. For instance, the play is in five acts, and it does not follow the unities. Then again, unlike the French, I suspect that the Germans weren’t too particularly concerned about the way their plays were constructed.
Actually, bad me – he wasn’t German, he was Austrian. Mind you, it is interesting because we don’t actually seem to get all that much exposure to plays from places that pretty much aren’t England. Okay, we do have access to some of the French playwrights, but once you go over to the German-speaking world, it is somewhat more difficult to get access to (and it seems that it is rather difficult to find his other plays on the internet – there is one book, but I can’t tell if it contains translations of the plays, or whether it is just a commentary). Well, I do sort of speak German, so I guess I can give it a go, one day, if I have time.
Anyway, as I mentioned, it is pretty much the Euripidean play, which includes the murder of the children, and of Jason’s lover. However, whereas most of the action in the Euripidean play is told through heralds, it is acted out on stage here. Like, we have the conversation between Jason and Creusa, where we learn that before he went on the quest they were lovers, and as it turns out, when he finally returns, he happens to be married to a barbarian.
Yeah, there is that idea that is brought out here, the idea of the civilised and the barbarians. In fact, this is a theme that exists in the original play, in that it was okay for Jason to discard Medea and marry a Greek because, well, she was a barbarian and didn’t count. There is also this idea of light and darkness. In fact, Medea at the beginning of the play describes her arrival in Greece as leaving the night and coming into the dawn.
Mind you, when Jason discards her for Creusa, this starts a whole process of destruction that is wrought on the land. Creon says at first that only Jason is offered protection (the guy who sent him on the quest was found murdered). After some convincing, he allows Medea to stay, but clearly states that he does not like her. Then a report is heard that Medea was seen stealing the fleece, and the body of the king was found, so it was assumed that she killed him. She didn’t it was the brother – she had tried, and failed, to save his life. However, she is a barbarian, so she isn’t believed.
Mind you, this idea still exists in our world today. Muslims are considered savages because they follow a religious book, as are the Africans. I still remember when they attempted to create fear of African gangs to attempt to bring down a government. The problem is that because the media is so intent on drumming up what is in effect a racist fear of what they consider savages (they don’t have the rule of law from where they come from, so the idea is that we when invite people into the country, they will basically live the way they live back home when in reality they want to come to our country because it is peaceful, and the rule of law operates).
It is interesting how nothing has really changed in all the thousands of years since the original play was written. If you look different and speak differently, then you are treated with suspicion. Here Medea is exiled, but of course the same thing happens to Jason when he brings everything crashing down. However, one of the main differences is that the Golden Fleece plays a much more important role than it does in the Greek plays. In fact, the idea that Grillparzer seems to be exploring, and bringing out, is the idea that it is cursed. This is probably why Medea was burying it at the beginning of the play. Basically, everybody who has been involved with the fleece has had their lives destroyed (and this was certainly the case in Colchis).
As I have mentioned, it is a real shame that getting one's hands on his plays is so difficult since I would like to have read his other plays, particularly the beginning of the trilogy to see the whole role that the Golden Fleece plays. As I also said, I guess I could attempt to translate it myself, or just get ChatGPT to do it.
4 December 2023
I’m not quite sure if I can call this play a re-imagined version of Euripides’ Medea, though as it turns out Grillparzer did write a trilogy based on the Ancient Greek story. Actually, it turns out that he had written some other plays based on Greek mythology as well, though it seems that it is pretty difficult to actually get copies of other plays, at least in English, which is a real shame. I would have quite liked to have seen how he explored the Greek myths.
Well, I do have this one, and of course I have read it (which is why I am writing something about it). My thoughts about it is that it just feels like a rewriting of the Ancient Greek tragedy for a more modern production. For instance, the play is in five acts, and it does not follow the unities. Then again, unlike the French, I suspect that the Germans weren’t too particularly concerned about the way their plays were constructed.
Actually, bad me – he wasn’t German, he was Austrian. Mind you, it is interesting because we don’t actually seem to get all that much exposure to plays from places that pretty much aren’t England. Okay, we do have access to some of the French playwrights, but once you go over to the German-speaking world, it is somewhat more difficult to get access to (and it seems that it is rather difficult to find his other plays on the internet – there is one book, but I can’t tell if it contains translations of the plays, or whether it is just a commentary). Well, I do sort of speak German, so I guess I can give it a go, one day, if I have time.
Anyway, as I mentioned, it is pretty much the Euripidean play, which includes the murder of the children, and of Jason’s lover. However, whereas most of the action in the Euripidean play is told through heralds, it is acted out on stage here. Like, we have the conversation between Jason and Creusa, where we learn that before he went on the quest they were lovers, and as it turns out, when he finally returns, he happens to be married to a barbarian.
Yeah, there is that idea that is brought out here, the idea of the civilised and the barbarians. In fact, this is a theme that exists in the original play, in that it was okay for Jason to discard Medea and marry a Greek because, well, she was a barbarian and didn’t count. There is also this idea of light and darkness. In fact, Medea at the beginning of the play describes her arrival in Greece as leaving the night and coming into the dawn.
Mind you, when Jason discards her for Creusa, this starts a whole process of destruction that is wrought on the land. Creon says at first that only Jason is offered protection (the guy who sent him on the quest was found murdered). After some convincing, he allows Medea to stay, but clearly states that he does not like her. Then a report is heard that Medea was seen stealing the fleece, and the body of the king was found, so it was assumed that she killed him. She didn’t it was the brother – she had tried, and failed, to save his life. However, she is a barbarian, so she isn’t believed.
Mind you, this idea still exists in our world today. Muslims are considered savages because they follow a religious book, as are the Africans. I still remember when they attempted to create fear of African gangs to attempt to bring down a government. The problem is that because the media is so intent on drumming up what is in effect a racist fear of what they consider savages (they don’t have the rule of law from where they come from, so the idea is that we when invite people into the country, they will basically live the way they live back home when in reality they want to come to our country because it is peaceful, and the rule of law operates).
It is interesting how nothing has really changed in all the thousands of years since the original play was written. If you look different and speak differently, then you are treated with suspicion. Here Medea is exiled, but of course the same thing happens to Jason when he brings everything crashing down. However, one of the main differences is that the Golden Fleece plays a much more important role than it does in the Greek plays. In fact, the idea that Grillparzer seems to be exploring, and bringing out, is the idea that it is cursed. This is probably why Medea was burying it at the beginning of the play. Basically, everybody who has been involved with the fleece has had their lives destroyed (and this was certainly the case in Colchis).
As I have mentioned, it is a real shame that getting one's hands on his plays is so difficult since I would like to have read his other plays, particularly the beginning of the trilogy to see the whole role that the Golden Fleece plays. As I also said, I guess I could attempt to translate it myself, or just get ChatGPT to do it.
March 26, 2021
Good take on the myth of Medea and the Argonauts. Includes some very nice imagery and dialouges full of emotion that make it worth reading.
April 16, 2023
0,5 Sterne
October 25, 2016
3.5 Sterne
April 6, 2020
Let me be very clear here.
I believe in Karma, so i think everything comes back to you.
And Jason is an A**hole.
I know this story has only two sides. Wether you agree if Medea or you don't. There is no other option.
I an talking about the dynamics between her and Jason here, let's leave the children out for a moment, this is too big of a question.
Jason really??? What did he expect?
You don't leave a women who helped you gain the victory the World will forever know you for!
Everything she did in the proncess of serving your victory - you cannot force all the blame on her now, call her "evil" for betraying her father DEPENDED on her doing so.
She chose Jason over her father, willing to take the consequences.
She left her home for Jason, trusting he will be loyal so she will find a new home in him.
But there he goes "I want to live a peacefull life, but ppl here hate you for what u did in aiding me - which I was thankful for back then - but now you are in the way, so go away."
WHAT DID HE EXPECT ?!?!?!
About the children ... well, look into a history book, or rather ... look ak the ppl around you.
There are families with steparents which work perfectly together.
But in 9 out of 10 ... as soon as the parents has a new child with the step-parent, the first children are forgotten.
Now look what happened in history.
A King has children, the first wife dies, he marries again. He has a son with the 2nd wife. Legally the sons he had with the first wife are the legal heirs to the throne. So make an educated guess ... what will wife nr.2 do to make sure HER son will be king ... right. We heard 100 of stories when it ended like this, but there are Zero stories when the King protected his first children from his 2nd wifes ambition. And Medea had no reason to assume Jason would be the first to do so cause he hated her an idealized everything that came from Kreusa. It was easy to tell he would love the child he was about to have with Kreusa more.
To all fathers out there who abandon their children just because they see the ex-wife in them: you are SH*T !!!
About Kreusa, who went straight for Jason and had no shame to meddle with a married man ... Did she REALLY think she would get away with this? Did ANY of us readers - even for a moment - think she can finish what she began? And is any of us sorry for her? Well, i'm not.
I believe in Karma, so i think everything comes back to you.
And Jason is an A**hole.
I know this story has only two sides. Wether you agree if Medea or you don't. There is no other option.
I an talking about the dynamics between her and Jason here, let's leave the children out for a moment, this is too big of a question.
Jason really??? What did he expect?
You don't leave a women who helped you gain the victory the World will forever know you for!
Everything she did in the proncess of serving your victory - you cannot force all the blame on her now, call her "evil" for betraying her father DEPENDED on her doing so.
She chose Jason over her father, willing to take the consequences.
She left her home for Jason, trusting he will be loyal so she will find a new home in him.
But there he goes "I want to live a peacefull life, but ppl here hate you for what u did in aiding me - which I was thankful for back then - but now you are in the way, so go away."
WHAT DID HE EXPECT ?!?!?!
About the children ... well, look into a history book, or rather ... look ak the ppl around you.
There are families with steparents which work perfectly together.
But in 9 out of 10 ... as soon as the parents has a new child with the step-parent, the first children are forgotten.
Now look what happened in history.
A King has children, the first wife dies, he marries again. He has a son with the 2nd wife. Legally the sons he had with the first wife are the legal heirs to the throne. So make an educated guess ... what will wife nr.2 do to make sure HER son will be king ... right. We heard 100 of stories when it ended like this, but there are Zero stories when the King protected his first children from his 2nd wifes ambition. And Medea had no reason to assume Jason would be the first to do so cause he hated her an idealized everything that came from Kreusa. It was easy to tell he would love the child he was about to have with Kreusa more.
To all fathers out there who abandon their children just because they see the ex-wife in them: you are SH*T !!!
About Kreusa, who went straight for Jason and had no shame to meddle with a married man ... Did she REALLY think she would get away with this? Did ANY of us readers - even for a moment - think she can finish what she began? And is any of us sorry for her? Well, i'm not.
January 6, 2010
Good retelling of the myth with an emphasis on psychological drama and some very beautiful imagery.
"Morgen wenn die Sonne aufgeht,
Steh ich schon allein,
die Welt eine leere Wüste,
Ohne Kinder, ohne Gemahl,
Auf blutig geritzten Füßen
Wandernd ins Elend. - Wohin?"
"Tomorrow when the sun rises
I will stand alone,
the world an empty desert,
without children, without husband,
on bloody, scored feet,
wandering into misery. - Whereto?"
"Morgen wenn die Sonne aufgeht,
Steh ich schon allein,
die Welt eine leere Wüste,
Ohne Kinder, ohne Gemahl,
Auf blutig geritzten Füßen
Wandernd ins Elend. - Wohin?"
"Tomorrow when the sun rises
I will stand alone,
the world an empty desert,
without children, without husband,
on bloody, scored feet,
wandering into misery. - Whereto?"
August 24, 2016
I did not read Grillparzer's "Medea" in the volume pictured here. Rather, I read the play found online: http://www.argonauts-book.com/grillpa...
The German "Medea" features "family resemblances" to both eponymous plays by Euripides and Seneca; and the allusion to Seneca's "Medea nunc sum" is unmistakable. (Not that it matters, but nevertheless, one prefers the "Medea" plays of Euripides and Seneca to most "modern" meditations on Medea.)
The German "Medea" features "family resemblances" to both eponymous plays by Euripides and Seneca; and the allusion to Seneca's "Medea nunc sum" is unmistakable. (Not that it matters, but nevertheless, one prefers the "Medea" plays of Euripides and Seneca to most "modern" meditations on Medea.)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews