| Element | Traditional Medea | Cusk’s Medea | |--------|----------------------|------------------| | | Verse, elevated, metaphorical | Contemporary prose, clipped, repetitive, stark | | Supernatural | Medea as witch/sorceress, chariot of the sun | No magic; Medea as ordinary woman | | Chorus | 15 Corinthian women | Reduced to 2-3 figures (Nurse, Tutor, sometimes Aegeus) | | Murder of children | Onstage or vividly reported | Offstage; aftermath only | | Setting | Corinth, ancient | Vaguely modern (costumes: contemporary suits and dresses) | | Ending | Escape to Athens | No escape; psychological ruin |
One of the most striking aspects of "Medea" is its exploration of the tensions between femininity and creativity. Cusk's Medea is a writer, an artist, and a thinker, and her work is a testament to the ways in which women's creative expression is often stifled or co-opted by the dominant culture. rachel cusk medea
Her controversial memoir on early motherhood laid the groundwork for analyzing maternal ambivalence. | Element | Traditional Medea | Cusk’s Medea