The phrase "kill your babies" comes from Euripides' Greek play Medea, which is about Medea's husband Jason's betrayal and Medea's ultimate revenge. Medea's husband is Jason, whom you might have heard of from Greek mythology--he is the famous leader of the Argonauts and their epic quest for the Golden Fleece. Medea is the sorceress who helped him with this task, and even killed her own brother to help Jason.
So, based on the title of this post and the background I've provided, you can probably infer how Medea avenges Jason: she literally kills her own babies.
Watch the comic version: 'Jason and Medea' (English) http://bbc.in/rSgvoM or this claymation:
But what's surprising about this play is how much sympathy you feel for Medea as you read. Sure, she's raging. She's hateful and she even proclaims, "Hate is a bottomless cup; I will pour and pour,” but her situation is not foreign to us. When Medea learns that Jason has abandoned her and started a new family with the Princess of Creon, we can't help but sympathize with Medea's sense of betrayal.
“I understand too well the dreadful act
I'm going to commit, but my judgement
can't check my anger, and that incites
the greatest evils human beings do.”
This play was written in 410 BCE, but its plot could have been on a TV soap opera yesterday (and probably was). This story is all about the tension of gender roles: Jason expects Medea is calmly accept the fact that he's taken a new wife and to hand over her children. Medea will not part with her children. Anyone with divorced parents can see this is an early version of a custody battle. On a societal level, Medea represents the oppressed. She has no rights and little room for making independent choices, which leads her to make the most exaggerated and independent choice of all to prove her point: she can get everyone's attention by choosing to murder her own offspring. This play is all about recognizing oppression and its ugliness, in the ancient world and today.
Summer reading from http://www.cpinternet.com/~mbayly/callasasmedea.htm:
MEDEA"Myth and Marx" - excerpts from Italian Cinema: From Neo-Realism to the Present by Peter Bondanella.
"Medea: Myth and Reason" - excerpts from Pier Paolo Pasolini by Stephen Snyder.
"Medea: Tropism of a Transplanted Race" by Molly Haskell.
THE MAKING OF
MEDEA"Medea and Callas" - excerpts from Pasolini Requiem by Barth David Schwartz.
Excerpts from Maria Callas Remembered by Nadia Stancioff.
Excerpts from Maria Callas: The Woman Behind the Legend by Arianna Huffington.
I think this is really cool. I kind of like the phrase, "kill your babies" because that's really what you're doing when you're revising something you like, but couldn't there be a less child-murdering way to connect the two? Haha just kidding. But yeah, that video is pretty neat as well, I think it is really interesting that Madea acknowledges that she is angry, but can't stop being angry. I'm sure she's not the only person who feels that way
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Tristin! I'm glad this interests you. Do you like learning about mythology and Ancient Greece? I agree with you--I think it's very astute that Medea can notice her anger as a negative thing, but she understands the need to feel it. The choices she makes while angry aren't the best, but at least we can understand the importance of acknowledging one's feelings. Isn't it crazy that over 2000 years later, we can still relate to this character and story!?
DeleteMs. U, I now totally get what it means " Kill Your Babies" . Would you ever go see the play you put up above? To really more understand the "Kill your Babies" Quote? - NP
ReplyDeleteAlazai and I are watching the movie version 2nd hour as part of and independent study. So far, I'm still pretty confused, but one thing I'm appreciating is how well the Greeks knew themselves as human beings. They seemed to really understand human strengths, challenges, and weaknesses. I'll keep you posted!
DeleteWho made the video? I t was used with stop-motion I know but was it chris santiago?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure. I found the video on youtube to provide a short summary of the play. I don't think it's by Chris.
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