Even though Euripides revolves his play Medea around Jason’s abandonment of his wife, his play revolves around the consequences caused from Jason’s pride. A central concern in the play examines how his egotism leads to unwanted consequences. Furthermore, Jason’s unwillingness to accept wrongdoing further worsens the situation. Above all, Jason’s act of belittling Medea is what ultimately, ignites the ramifications suffered by Jason. Jason’s crime is not abandoning his wife, Medea, but his egotism. Jason’s high status within Greek society is established early on in the play, becoming apparent when we are informed that he has left Medea for ‘a royal bed’. This reveals Jason’s vanity, when he claims marrying Creon’s daughter, Glauce, would ‘better [his] position’, as it allows him to strengthen ‘his bloodline’ with royal blood. It is here when it becomes evident that Medea’s rage is not from the fact that …show more content…
At first, Euripides depicts Medea as a women who has suffered a ‘harsh blow’ when she is informed that Jason has abandoned her, through her ‘passionate weeping’. However, as the play progresses, it becomes apparent that Medea is in actual fact, not infuriated that Jason has left her, but by the fact that Jason will not take responsibility for his actions. She refers to Jason as ‘a coward’ to express this outrage, stating that she cannot comprehend how Jason has ‘blamed [her]’ for his wrongdoing. This further confirms, Jason’s arrogance, evidenced by his statement that he is only interested in a ‘life that brings him fame’. This implies that it is time to find this ‘[new] fame’, through abandoning Medea and marrying the King’s daughter, as the fame inherited from Medea’s sacrifices and assistance has diminished. Here, it is clear that the notion of Jason’s arrogance is ultimately the predicament to his suffering, as a result of his inability to take responsibility for his