What Happens At The End Of Medea And Other Plays?

2025-12-31 01:07:23
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3 Answers

Gavin
Gavin
Favorite read: MEDUSA
Twist Chaser Cashier
Euripides' 'Medea and Other Plays' is a collection that leaves you emotionally drained but utterly fascinated. The ending of 'Medea' itself is pure tragic brilliance—Medea, after exacting her revenge by murdering her own children to punish Jason, escapes in a dragon-drawn chariot sent by her grandfather, the sun god Helios. It’s horrifying yet poetic, making you question whether to condemn her or sympathize with her betrayal. The other plays, like 'Hecuba' and 'The Trojan Women,' don’t lighten the mood either. They’re relentless in their portrayal of suffering, especially for women in the aftermath of war. 'Hecuba' ends with the titular character transforming into a dog, cursed to haunt the shores, while 'The Trojan Women' leaves you with the image of Hecuba mourning over the corpse of her grandson, Astyanax, thrown from the walls of Troy. These endings aren’t just bleak; they force you to sit with the raw injustice of it all. Euripides doesn’t offer tidy resolutions—just a mirror held up to the darkest parts of humanity.

What sticks with me is how modern these tragedies feel. Medea’s rage isn’t just about Jason; it’s about a woman pushed to extremes by a world that discards her. The other plays echo this, showing how war reduces people—especially women—to collateral damage. The lack of catharsis is the point. You don’t walk away feeling cleansed; you walk away haunted.
2026-01-02 02:13:35
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Contributor Student
The endings in 'Medea and Other Plays' are like a series of gut punches. 'Medea' is the standout—her infanticide isn’t just revenge; it’s a grotesque power play, and her escape on Helios’ chariot feels like divine approval of her actions. It’s disturbing, but it makes you think about agency and desperation. The other plays spiral downward too: 'Hecuba' ends with her metamorphosis into a dog, a symbol of her dehumanization, while 'The Trojan Women' leaves Hecuba cradling her dead grandson as Troy smolders. Euripides doesn’t do tidy morals—just raw, uncomfortable truths. These plays stick with you because they’re about people breaking under systems that crush them. No heroes, just survivors and victims.
2026-01-06 04:16:11
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Ava
Ava
Favorite read: WIFE FOR HADES
Frequent Answerer Chef
If you’re diving into 'Medea and Other Plays,' brace yourself for endings that don’t pull punches. 'Medea' closes with one of the most chilling scenes in Greek tragedy—a mother killing her children to spite their father, then literally flying away from consequences. It’s not just shock value; Euripides is digging into themes of vengeance, gender, and the limits of sanity. The other plays are just as brutal. 'Alcestis' is a weird outlier—technically a 'happy' ending where Hercules rescues Alcestis from death, but even that feels unsettling. Like, is she really 'saved,' or just trapped in a different kind of silence? 'The Trojan Women' ends with the city burning and its women enslaved, a slow-motion wreck you can’t look away from. There’s no victory, just survival at a horrific cost.

What I love about Euripides is how he refuses to sugarcoat. These endings linger because they’re messy and unresolved. Medea doesn’t repent; Hecuba doesn’t find peace. It’s theatre that holds up a fractured mirror to the audience and asks, 'What would you do?'
2026-01-06 06:58:51
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Euripides' 'Medea and Other Plays' is a collection that leaves you reeling, especially the titular tragedy. Medea's final act—murdering her own children to punish Jason—is brutal, but it's not just about revenge. It's a scorching critique of how women were trapped in ancient Greek society. Medea, a foreigner and a sorceress, had no legal rights; her only power was destructive. The play doesn't justify her actions, but it forces you to ask: What drove her to this? The chorus' horrified silence and Jason's futile screams amplify the horror. Euripides doesn't wrap things up neatly—the ending is messy, unresolved, and that's the point. It lingers like a shadow, making you question justice, gender, and the cost of betrayal. What gets me is how modern it feels. Medea isn't a monster; she's a woman pushed to extremes. The play's ending—with her escaping in Helios' chariot—isn't a victory. It's hollow. She's damned herself, and the gods let her flee. It's not catharsis; it's a warning. Euripides was ahead of his time, crafting endings that refuse easy morals. The other plays in the collection, like 'Hecuba,' follow suit—grim, unresolved, and deeply human. They don't comfort; they unsettle. That's why they stick with you.

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