of Corinth to whom she addresses her words. Herrhetoric is therefore focused on stressing the experiences they have in common. She calls them "friends" and describes the misfortunes of womankind. She uses the metaphor of treasure, or "a store of gold," to signify all they must sacrifice for the love of a man, who may desert them at any time, leaving them utterly bereft. The strangeness of men (as opposed to their common experience as women) is emphasized by the alienating reference to "the thing that sleeps at her side."

Medea compares the courage required of women with the martial bravery of men. She says that she would rather stand three times in the front line of battle than bear one child. Having stressed what she shares with her audience, Medea ends her speech with images of separation and loneliness. She says that while they have friends, family, and a home, she has none of these things. Her final appeal is striking in its modesty and anticlimax: she does not ask for the help of the women, but merely asks that they not actively betray her. This comes after first stressing their solidarity, then her peculiar loneliness, making it seem as if it's the least the women can do.