Final answer:
The audience remains sympathetic towards Medea because Euripides presents her as a rational and emotionally complex character facing extreme circumstances. Her actions, while horrific, are rooted in a depiction of the social injustices and betrayals inflicted upon her, thereby retaining the audience's empathy to the end.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Euripides' play Medea, the audience remains sympathetic towards Medea, despite her plans to commit a horrendous act, because of several key elements in her portrayal and the context of her actions. Medea is presented as a deeply wronged woman, her husband having betrayed her for another, leaving her status as a foreigner in Greek society particularly vulnerable. The sympathy for her is also evoked by the undeniable rationality behind her rage, the emotional depth and psychological realism with which Euripides imbues her character, and the greater critique of the social injustices facing women, illustrated through her predicament. While her act of killing her children is abhorrent, it is depicted as a consequence of the extremity of her circumstances, not a senseless or purely evil choice.
Euripides is known for promoting a psychological understanding of his characters, moving from darkness to light, and challenging the audience to think and question traditional values, including the role of the gods in human affairs. His work unveils the fragility of human existence and often illustrates the tragic outcomes of rigid social norms and injustices. This nuanced portrayal helps the audience maintain a level of empathy for Medea through to the end of the play.
Additionally, the play confronts the audience with the realpolitik of traditional mythic and tragic narratives when placed in contemporary settings, which often include deeply disturbing familial violence that was part of the history of ancient civilizations like Rome and Greece. Euripides uses these elements to elicit both emotional response and critical reflection on the part of his audience.