The Children Character Analysis in Medea

The children, the two sons of Medea and Jason, each speak only once during the play. They are undifferentiated and, in some ways, more like set pieces than active characters. They, or, rather, their deaths are a means for Medea to express her rage at Jason and for the play to depict the all-consuming rage and barbarity of Medea, who is willing to kill her own children to revenge herself upon her betraying husband.

The Children Quotes in Medea

The Medea quotes below are all either spoken by The Children or refer to The Children. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Cambridge University Press edition of Medea published in 1999.

I'll send her gifts, the finest in the world:
A finely woven dress and crown of beaten gold.
The boys will take them.

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 916-918

Explanation and Analysis:

All for nothing tortured myself with toil and care,
And bore the cruel pains when you were born.
Once I placed great hopes in you, that you
Would care for my old age and yourselves
Shroud my corpse. That would make me envied.
Now that sweet thought is no more. Parted from you
I shall lead a grim and painful life.

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 1000-1006

Explanation and Analysis:

Hateful creature! O most detestable of women
To the gods and me and all the human race!
You could bring yourself to put to the sword
The children of your womb. You have taken my sons
and destroyed me.

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 1302-1306

Explanation and Analysis:

The Children Character Timeline in Medea

The timeline below shows where the character The Children appears in Medea. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Nurse fears Medea is dreaming up a dreadful plan. Just as she says this, the children return home with their Tutor. The Tutor asks the Nurse why she is standing alone... (full context)

...he says, he heard them say that Creon is going to exile Medea and her children. The Tutor says he doesn't know if the report is true. (full context)

...and hide the rumor from Medea, and the Nurse advises the Tutor to keep the children out of Medea's sight. Just then, Medea cries from inside the house (offstage) that she... (full context)

...and begs instead a single day in which to consider where to go with her children. She says she doesn't care about herself, only the children. Creon recognizes that he is... (full context)

...marvelous husband. What a fine job he's done seeing to it that the wife and children who saved his life are being cast away as exiles and beggars. She bewails that... (full context)

...had nothing to do with any woman, but was really to protect her and the children and to father new, royal sons. Medea rejects his help and his argument while Jason... (full context)

...calls on the gods to witness that he is willing to help Medea and the children, that it is she who refuses his help and only making things worse for herself.... (full context)

...she says, though it causes her grief, the next step will be to kill her children. She will demolish Jason's whole house and leave the country. She says she can endure... (full context)

...says the Chorus hasn't suffered as she has and so can't understand. Killing her own children, she says, is the way to hurt her husband most. The Chorus says it will... (full context)

The Chorus begins its third choral ode, calling the Athenians children of the gods and their land holy. They say that the nine Muses created Harmony... (full context)

...his pardon for the way she acted and admits she was wrong. She calls the children out from the house and they enter through the door. She tells them to embrace... (full context)

...behavior based on her sex. He calls her "a sensible woman." He then tells his children he has made their future secure and that he thinks that one day they will... (full context)

Medea says she is concerned for the children because she gave birth to them. She realizes, she claims, that it is best for... (full context)

...send a maid (a member of the Chorus) to get the presents and tell the children to take the gifts to the happy, royal bride. Jason calls Medea foolish for parting... (full context)

...winning over mortals, she says, because mortals are so greedy. She says to buy her children out of exile she would pay not just with gold, but with her life. Medea... (full context)

The Tutor enters and tells Medea that the children have been spared their banishment. Medea wails. The Tutor is perplexed and Medea wails again.... (full context)

...that she will and orders him to go into the house and prepare for the children's usual needs. He exits into the house through the door. She addresses her absent children... (full context)

Once, Medea says, she placed great hopes in her children and thought that they would care for her in her old age. Her life, parted... (full context)

...herself, but at last resolves to go through with her original plan to murder the children. She knows, she says, that the Princess is dying with the poisoned crown on her... (full context)

...relish in them. The Messenger tells her that the servants were delighted to see the children at the palace because they had been worrying over them and Medea. Now, they thought,... (full context)

Some servants, the Messenger says, kissed the children's hair, others their hands. He himself was overjoyed and followed the boys to the women's... (full context)

Medea tells the Chorus she is resolved to kill the children and leave Corinth. She says she won't leave them for another to kill, that they... (full context)

...terrible for a mortal to shed a family member's blood. The gods punish it. The children are heard screaming offstage. One of the children asks (from offstage) what he can do... (full context)

The Chorus asks if it should enter the house. The children cry for help. The Chorus calls Medea miserable and made of stone for killing her... (full context)

...earth or fly into heaven if she is to escape punishment. He cares about the children, however, and is worried his new relatives might do something to them to avenge Creon... (full context)

Jason calls Medea the most detestable creature of all time. She has killed his children and destroyed him. He curses her. He says he is sane, but was mad to... (full context)

...is old to mourn—it is too early now. Jason says he longs to kiss his children again. Medea notes the irony of his wanting to touch and talk to them now... (full context)