for vengeance.

In Norwood's translation, the Chorus tell Medea that her grief is expected and that they will do whatever they need to do in order to help her achieve her vengeful plan, which she's yet to reveal.

CHORUS: I shall do what you ask, since you will be right to exact vengeance from your husband, Medea. I do not wonder that you grieve over what has happened.

Look, I see Creon now, king of this land, coming to tell you his new plans.

In Davie's translation, the Chorus also mentions that Medea's grief is no surprise, and they even say that seeking revenge is the right thing to do. However, there is a slight, perhaps notable change in tone when the Chorus's leader introduces the arrival of King Creon, who has news:

CHORUS-LEADER: I will do as you ask Medea; it is just that you should take revenge upon your husband. Your grief at what has happened to you causes me no surprise. But here I see Creon, ruler of this land, approaching. He brings news of fresh decisions.

The cleverly placed "but" suggests a very subtle contradiction, as if whatever news Creon has may change the course of the story and even the Chorus's opinion on the matter at hand. This can be seen as important, as it may hint at the Chorus's, as well as the audience's, reaction to Medea's plan to murder her children later on, which is nothing less than horror and shock.

In Robertson's translation, the Chorus explicitly tell Medea that her husband deserves to be punished and that she has every reason to grieve. When they introduce the arrival of King Creon, the "but" doesn't have the same tone as it does in Davie's translation; here, the tone is one of curiosity, as if the Chorus is interested in hearing whatever new information Creon has to offer or whatever plan he has come up with.

CHORUS: We promise. You have every right to punish your husband, Medea, and every reason to grieve. Enter Creon. But here is Creon, the king. Here, perhaps, with some new proclamation.

Most people must read Euripides's Medea in translation, and those translations can create differences in how we receive and interpret the play. Let's look at the three translations in question and see how the diction and style show Medea's argument and character in different lights.

In this part of the play, Creon tells Medea that she and her children must go into exile. Medea argues that there will be no safe place for them. She assures Creon that she is not a threat to him. She hates her husband, not Creon. The three translations, however, present this argument in very different ways.

We will look first at Robertson's translation. Notice the poetic look in this attempt. The translator tries to capture the poetic form of the original, at least in a minimal way. Medea's words in this version are rather clipped. She speaks concisely and plainly. Also note the inclusion of words like "insurrectionist" (and the repetition of it) and Medea's simple statements like "You have won and I have lost." This Medea comes across as fairly calm and collected as she argues.

Now, though, turn your attention to Davie's translation. This Medea speaks at more length and begins with several exclamations. This text is in prose with no attempt at the poetic form. The sentences are longer, and Medea seems to speak at more length as she presents her argument to the king. In fact, this translator expands the text significantly. There are few pithy statements as in Robertson's text. This Medea appears more emotional.

Finally, we can look at Norwood's text. It, too, is in prose rather than poetry. It is not quite as expanded as Davie's version, but it does present more words and longer, more complex sentences than Robertson's translation. Norwood's diction is more modern in its idiom and even borders on slang at times, as when Medea calls herself “the butt of their odium.” Odium, of course, is not slang, and it jars against the word butt. Medea is not as matter-of-fact here as she appears in Robertson but also not as emotional as she appears in Davie.

As you continue your analysis, look closely at other word choices these three translators make. Each of them provides Medea's argument with a slightly different flavor and Medea herself with a unique range of vocabulary. Sentence structure, too, differs in these translations. Notice the differences between the short sentences of Robertson, the flowing syntax of Davie, and the in-between nature of Norwood.

In this scene from Euripides's Medea, Creon frankly admits that he is frightened of Medea, although he is the king of Corinth, while she is friendless and apparently powerless in a foreign land. It is in James Morwood's translation that Creon sounds the weakest, actually saying "terror makes me shrink." John Davie's "terrible misgiving" and Robin Robertson's "I dread to think what evil cooks within your heart" are both more dignified and conventional, though Robertson's visual image emphasizes Creon's sinister view of Medea.

Morwood's Creon, however, overcompensates by ending his speech in the language of pompous officialdom:

My decision is irrevocable and no craft of yours will enable you, my enemy, to remain among us.

Davie comes close to this diction, with impersonal but slightly less formal language ("This decision is fixed"), while Robertson employs the language of a proclamation but at least has Creon address Medea directly, saying:

You are hereby banished, and must leave now.

One might say that in all three versions, Creon is a weak man in a strong position, while Medea is a strong woman in a weak one. Creon acknowledges that it is Medea's cleverness and coolness that he fears (all three translators use the word "clever") and that his apprehension is vague, though he has said earlier that Medea is a sorceress and he is afraid that she may harm his daughter. Medea's words to Creon and his reception of them show that she is capable of hiding her anger. Davie calls her speech "soothing," and Morwood says it is "soft to hear," while Robertson opts for the more formal term "conciliatory."