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Tragedy in medea by Euripides
Women's role in greek mythology
Tragedy in medea by Euripides
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”Medea is portrayed as reacting to Jason’s betrayal by “doing what other heroes before her had done...when confronted with an enemy. She schemes, she tricks, she deceives,” and she seeks revenge on those who have harmed her. Medea enforces this notion that she is merely doing what any self-respecting man, Greek, or Hero would do when she scoffs at Creon's concern over her type, stating: “A woman like me!
In Medea, the particulars of Medea’s revenge make up the plot, so it comes as no surprise that the play’s ending revolves entirely around said revenge and its effects on Jason and Medea. In The Mercy Seat, the plot is made up of the moral quandaries that arise as Ben and Abby dive deeper into the psychology of their affair, and to reflect this, the play’s ending leaves many questions unanswered and gives the audience members room to interpret things on their own. Having the endings embody the plays themselves drives home for the final time the plays’ individuality, and provides one final example of how these two similar stories are, in the end, more different than they appear. In conclusion, while Medea and The Mercy Seat appear to be heavily similar at first blush, their various idiosyncrasies help add depth to their stories and define them as their own plays, distinct from each other.
Modern Day Medea When reading the play Medea one might not think of Stephen King’s novel Carrie. There are however, many similarities between the two stories and the two main characters. Both characters were wronged and humiliated by people close to them. Both characters were also willing to use their supernatural abilities to take revenge on those who had wronged them.
In Euripides’ text The Medea, Medea can easily be painted as the villian. She is a woman who killed her own children in an attempt to spite her husband. But, by examining the text, we can see that she deserves some sympathy. She has little to no control over her own life and has to rely on the will of men. And as a foreigner in Corinth abandoned by her husband, she faces even more challenges than the native women of Corinth did.
Oedipus’ typical compassion is tested when his position is at risk, exposing his selfish nature. Oedipus is usually a compassionate ruler. He would communicate with his people and give them a chance to be heard. For example, Oedipus goes to his people and after hearing them speak of their sufferings, he replies, “each of you suffers in himself alone his anguish, not another’s; but my spirit groans for the city, for myself, for you” (Fritt 5). Here, Oedipus is showing his sympathy and pity for his people and that he wants to help them.
The ancient Greek tragedies, Antigone by Sophocles and Medea by Euripides, both contain compelling arguments conducted amongst its main characters. The tale of Antigone describes the struggle of a young women who is punished for disobeying mortals in order to respect the gods. Medea gives an account of a woman who seeks revenge after being tremendously grieved when betrayed by her husband. The main characters of both tragedies find themselves in heated debates with their male counterparts. Perhaps the most convincing arguments come from Antigone's claim to Creon regarding her innocence, and Jason's exchange with Medea.
In Medea by Euripides, Medea 's character flaw that ultimately led to her downfall is revenge. Medea 's husband Jason left her to marry a younger, beautiful woman. Medea becomes outraged, and all she thinks about is getting revenge. She kills Glauce, Jason 's new wife, and her father, Creon. She wanted her revenge to be perfect she even killed her own children to get revenge on Jason leaving her.
On top of ruining his future marriage, Medea stuns Jason by killing their sons. The chorus proclaimed “[the] children are dead, killed by their mother’s hand” (line 1354). She dramatically flies above the roof in a chariot carrying the bodies of their dead sons. Being a murder has never been perceived as a positive aspect for someone to
Medea is also known as a first tragedy where the murderer is not punished and she is part of victim’s family. Cruelness was usual phenomenon in the Greek society, but cruelness of mother killing her own children just as a part of her revenge shocked the public of the Classical Greece period. Thus the tragedy of Euripides took the last part in competition. However, Medea
This is why Medea, according to the Greek gods, was in her right to take such severe consequences upon Jason and in this essay we will analyze Medea’s position and decide upon a conclusion whether her actions are justifiable or
Euripides created a modern day woman who seeks justice and revenge with her cleverness and power. Medea acted as a feminine heroine who established that women can also be as strong as men. The feeling of being left by someone you love is truly painful hence, Medea expressed her emotions as much as she can and mourned for her lost. It is true that women can be sensitive and emotional so there was Medea portraying a usual woman in an unusual manner.
The play starts off by showing Medea suffering and crying upon her husband's betrayal and it presents an ordinary woman of the time. 'Oh I am wretched pity me for my sufferings! Oh, if only I could die'. Her anguish and anger was relatable by the audience because her sorrow and grief symbolises an average woman of her time who would have reacted in a similar way after a loss of her husband. However she transforms herself into an evil master mind and labels her husband and his new wife as her enemy.
Lush explains “Although Euripides did not cast Medea as a male solider as its protagonist, the play depicts Medea as suffering from the background Trauma, betrayal, isolation and consequent symptoms attributed to combat veterans with lasting psychological injuries” (Lush, 2014, p. 25). Hence using Lush’s view on Medea’s character as a devoted warrior suffering from Traumatic hardships in her experiences with the man she gave everything to, we can understand why she wanted revenge. Medea believes Jason owes her more than just the normal husband-wife obligations a man swears to when marrying a woman; in her view, she helped him be the man that he is and supported him throughout his heroic journey. Without her, Jason would not have succeeded in retrieving the Golden Fleece. Without her, he would not have had his father resurrected.
Medea has already lost her husband and her home so this decision is an obvious one for her. She wants to leave everyone in the same misery that she has been experienced and continues to experience. After this, she even plans to murder her own children just to distress Jason further. Medea knows that she will live in regret and misery by doing so, but her need to sadden Jason trumps her own future feelings. The murder of her sons also symbolizes the death of her marriage with Jason.
Medea, the protagonist, is a woman driven by extreme emotions and extreme behaviors. Because of the passionate love she had for Jason, she sacrificed everything .. However, now his betrayal of her transformed the beautiful loving passion to uncontrollable anger, hatred and a desperate desire for revenge. Her violent and temperamental heart, previously devoted to Jason, now moving towards its doom.