Is Medea´s development through the story the one of a hero or of a mentally unstable? Medea´s character development consists mainly in the transition from suicidal to child-killing hero (or some say). Said transition consists mainly of a physiological struggle between reason and passion, which can be perceived as the struggle of a hero or the struggle of a mentally unstable and sexual-jealous person. The main objective of this essay is to explore these two options in order to develop a more clear understanding of the characteristics of Medea and her actions. At the beginning of the play Medea demonstrates a suicidal and depressing state of mind cause by the psychological harm that her soon to be ex-husband has caused her when he decides to leave her in order to marry Creon´s daughter. This statement becomes clear when she say “Oh, oh! What misery, what wretchedness what shall I do? If only I were dead!” and “Come, flame of the sky, pierce through my head I what do I gain from living any longer? Oh, how I hate living! I want to end my life, leave it behind, and die.” However, Medea does not stay in that …show more content…
It demonstrates that she is willing to do anything she can in order to change what she thinks is wrong. In fact, according to the text “The Worst Husband” by Laura McClure from the Chicago Journal, Medea demonstrate how she is a hero due “to her inability to tolerate injustice or disrespect” and her “strong preoccupation with avoiding the laughter of her enemies, a potential source of shame and fear: "In dying I will become a joke to my enemies"” this Author also states that “Like a hero, she wishes to appear formidable and invincible rather than vulnerable in the face of her opponents: "Let no one think me trifling and weak, or gentle, but of the opposite temperament, difficult to my enemies and well-disposed to my