Final answer:
Euripides's play 'Medea' breaks away from traditional Greek tragedy by having the murder of her children occur onstage, emphasizing realism and psychological depth. This innovation made the horrific deed more immediate and shocking for the audience, while his works overall encouraged critical thinking about social conventions and the human conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Euripides's play Medea, the deviation from traditional Greek tragedies comes in the form of how the deaths are presented. In classical tragedy, the most horrific events typically occur offstage and are reported by a messenger, as it preserves the tragic structure without overstepping dramatic decency. Medea's murder of her children, however, is enacted on stage, making it more alarming and immediate to the audience. This deviation is significant because it brings a horrific nature closer to the audience, deviating from the traditional approach that retained a certain distance from such brutal actions.
Moreover, Euripides's tragedies, like Medea, focus on the psychological aspects of the characters and their internal struggles rather than on their noble status or heroic qualities. This emphasis on the human rather than the divine or the extraordinary marks a shift from traditional depictions of character in Greek tragedies. Additionally, Euripides poses a critical look at deities and the social conventions of the time, encouraging his audience to question old beliefs and recognize the human traits even in legendary figures.
Euripides's work is recognized for bringing a new dimension to the tragedy by promoting realism and psychological depth in his characters. The focus on more personal and contemporary issues made his works stand apart from traditional tragedies.