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Similarities
- Medea as a character is emotionally unstable at the beginning, yet she becomes manipulative and deviant - going as far to kill her own children (a innovative idea by Euripides). Phaedra in Hippolytus is very unstable in her choices at the start of the play, but then she confides in the nurse. This mistake causes her to become deviant in the way that she leaves a suicide note, claiming that Hippolytus ***** her.
- All plays deal with the role of the Gods: Oedipus with his fate, laid out at birth by the Gods. Antigone with trying to uphold the cathonic laws (laws of the Gods, with the idea of gaining rights for the burial of her brother Polynices). Medea with the idea that she is free of punishment at the end of the play, flying off on a chariot by the son God (this prevents the audience from reaching a catharsis at the end of the play). Hippolytus with the theme of Aphrodite vs Artemis.
- The writing techniques used by both playwrights is arguably similar: catharsis, aria (solo) - long monologues by characters, special effects such as the use of the deux ex machina, the ekkyklema etc.
- However, the chorus are generally used to allow the audience to remember what has happened throughout the play and also to shown the audience how they should be reacting at certain parts within the play.
- In Oedipus there is the Oedipus Complex (having an incestuous relationship with your mother and a hatred aimed towards your father) and in Medea, the Medea Complex (a murderous hatred by a mother towards her child/children, driven by the desire for revenge on her husband).
- The ending of Antigone is very similar to the ending of Oedipus as both are said by the chorus and both serve as a moral lesson to the Athenian audience and so allow catharsis to occur.
- In all four plays there is the theme of Oikos - In Oedipus, near the end of the play, we see Oedipus' feelings towards the theme of oikos - he doesn't want his children to go and is truly affected by this when they are taken away. Also, he would rather become city-less, which would shock the Athenian audience, as he is truly ashamed of what he has done. In Antigone, Creon punishes his own family member, he also destroys the value of Philoi with his son Haemon (during scene 4 - stichomythia) and at the end his wife kills herself which causes him to lose everything dear to him. In Medea, she kills her own children which causes Jason to become deprived of children and causes him to lose citizenship (which would have caused the audience to be fearful of Medea). In Hippolytus, Aphrodite causes Phaedra to love/lust after Hippolytus (her step-son). This begins to break down the value of Oikos initially but once Phaedra commits suicide, the oikos is destroyed as Theseus exacts revenge on Hippolytus.
- Tiresias is found in Oedipus and Antigone - Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is the murderer of King Laius but Oedipus does not believe him. In Antigone, Tiresias tells Creon to release Antigone but he does not listen and begins insulting him. Tiresias then prophesies Creon's punishment. In both causes Tiresias is a blind prophet of Apollo that is able to see the future - this allows the theme of blindness vs sight to develop and allows us as an audience, and even the Athenian audience to see character flaws.
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Differences
- All protagonists are generally male - Oedipus, Creon (in Antigone), and arguably Hippolytus, however some would say Aphrodite (in Hippolytus). The only protagonist that is female is Medea out of all four plays - yet perhaps because Euripides was a 'feminist'? Or perhaps to ignore the idea of triangulation and instead create stichomythia (fast-paced speech creating tension between two characters).
- The context varies from play to play - The plague in Oedipus, The War of Samos in Antigone, The Peloponnesian War in both Medea and Hippolytus.
- The influence of the playwright varies - Euripides wanted to challenge the Athenian audience through using ideas/themes that would shock the listener such as incest and the fear of women.
- The chorus is used in different ways occasionally, such as in Medea they help to contrast the value and attitudes of barbarian women vs Athenian. This allows the flaws of Jason to be shown as they are unsympathetic - he became involved with a barbarian woman and so he was naive.
- Staging death varies between Antigone and Medea - in Antigone death is staged less dramatic and is not described as heavily compared to Medea. Additionally, in Antigone it is a conversation between the leader and the messenger. But in Medea, it is a conversation between Medea and the messenger.
- The symbols used within the plays varies. In Oedipus, the triple crossroads and the swollen ankles. In Antigone, the use of the tomb and Antigone becoming a 'bride of the grave/death'. In Medea, the door, the poisoned crown and the chimeras. Finally in Hippolytus, the crown of flowers and the statues of Aphrodite and Artemis.
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