5-Week SASA Reading Group: Mother, Murderer: Medeas in Antiquity and Beyond

Medea is an enduring figure in ancient mythology and beyond. From Colchian princess to wife of Jason to infanticidal mother to queen of Athens, Medea's magical and murderous qualities are her most famous attributes. But Medea’s life after antiquity, especially in literature about marginalized women, suggest that we should take another look at Medea as we consider the question “why would a mother kill her children?”   In this reading group, we will begin by reading Euripides’ Medea, Apollonius’ Argonautica Book 3, selections from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and Seneca’s Medea. In our final week, we will examine selections from Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved and Luis Alfaro’s play Mojada. Was Medea’s murder of her children a simple act of revenge, or is there more to this well-known story?   Please note that this reading group will cover topics such as discrimination, violence against children, violence against women, sexual violence, and racial violence. I will…