...The Acts of Medea: A Theme of Revenge Medea is devoted to her husband Jason and sacrificed her own life for his love. Jason has so much greed for royalty that he deserts Medea and their two children and marries the Princess Glauce. Medea’s love for Jason now turns into hatred as her thirst for revenge rules her over emotions. She despises Jason and plots to kill not only his new wife, but his own seeds – their children. The degree of sanity behind Medea’s emotions contributes to her act of revenge. Medea is considered what we call “a woman scorned.” She could not imagine a life without Jason and is devastated by his betrayal. Now she is determined to avenge her broken heart. This is evidenced in lines 798-801 when Medea tells the Women of Corinth, “I can do no other thing….. You have not suffered as I have…….Yes, for this is the best way to wound my husband.” (Lawall, p. 707). The Women of Corinth are trying to persuade Medea not to commit this murderous act but Medea is insisting that this must be done. They are not experiencing the pain and hurt that Medes is feeling so their opinion is of no interest to Medea. Medea wants Jason to feel the pain that she is feeling and this can only be done if he loses something he loves. Her humanity is recognized. She sees the need for revenge, to hurt the one that hurt her. She is in a state of rage and wants to slay the innocent in order to cause Jason the deepest pain. When Jason abandoned Medea, all she could focus on...
Words: 784 - Pages: 4
...Mathew Roberts August 15, 2013 The Comparison of Qualities of the Protagonist in Odyssey by Homer and Medea by Euripedes The comparison of Medea by Euripedes and Odyssey by Homer show many similarities as well as differences. Let’s begin with the character of Medea. After reading Medea by Euripedes the character of Medea shows that she was a barbarian by nature, and she was considered a foreigner. Medea states that “I am the mother of your children, wither can I fly, since all Greece hates the barbarian ( www.theatre history.com). Medea tells this to Jason after the king tells her she must leave his kingdom. She was a beautiful intelligent woman, but she was a woman scorned. She displayed a woman who could not accept rejection, or by no means could she forgive. Medea was a mother, a lover a wife. She also was a loyal person. She displayed this by no matter what it took to help Jason, she took all necessary steps to fulfill her wishes so that she would be able to be with him. You ask yourself was Medea this way before Jason, yes I believe she was. This goes back to the fact that she really was a barbarian in a foreign land. In this story I came to the conclusion that Medea actions showed a woman who was truly mad. She was not aware of the cruel and barbaric actions she took out on people she knew and love. I felt this because she showed no compassion. She...
Words: 1071 - Pages: 5
...Today in Athens, the people decide to conduct a trial for King Aegeus’s oath to Medea, now a discovered to be a fugitive of Corinth, as the result of assassination the King and princess of Corinth. Juries will need to vote whether Medea would be welcomed or not be welcomed to stay and continue her life in Athens with our King Aegeus. In our trial, both prosecutor and defender suggested possibilities that would happen in either decisions. One lets Medea to stay in Athens and one don’t. Both decision would be dangerous for the people of Athens. One undeniable fact was that Medea came from a powerful family, a strong magic user, and a murderer. If we were to not welcome Medea, breaking our King’s oath to the Gods, this would cause Medea to unleash her anger. While allowing Medea to stay in Athens may safe us in a short-term period but, none of us can predict the future without the God’s will. In the anti-Medea’s side, the prosecutor argued again that Medea has a history of...
Words: 546 - Pages: 3
...Imagine being a POW in a time of war. Tris has turned herself in to Erudite to save the lives of her friends and has just been executed. I will predict whether or not Tris is really dead, predict the outcome of the attack against Erudite, and question why Caleb is apart of Erudite. I predict that Tris is not actually dead. I think this is really just one of Jeanine’s guiles to gain an advantage over someone. Jeanine has done this before: “In a few seconds, I will inject Tris with liquid. At this point, I trust, your selfless instincts will take over and you will tell me exactly what I need to know” (Roth 352). I believe she is trying to withdraw more information from Tobias, pretending to execute Tris to motivate him. In reality, Tris is just in a very deep sleep. Jeanine needs Tris because she is too important to kill and they are still studying her. Tris’s brain is as unique as a snowflake because she has one of the largest prefrontal cortex’s Jeanine has ever seen. This is why Tris is so important to Jeanine and why I predict that she is not actually dead. I also predict that Erudite and Jeanine will not be able to withstand the imminent attack. Dauntless and Factionless have formed an alliance and plan to strike with a potent attack on the day of Tris’ execution. The group of Dauntless and Factionless plan to attack and destroy the Erudite faction and their data, so that they cannot regain strength: “Obviously we will destroy it. The only way to deprive the Erudite of power...
Words: 544 - Pages: 3
...past their curfew, change their entire style, and skip classes to be with their loved ones. However, in Euripedes’ play, Medea, the main character, Medea, was not only a crazy, homicidal lady, but she was also persuasive, as she had caused the deaths of many innocent lives. Medea has a past of convincing naive people to kill their loved ones. Because Jason was going to marry another woman, Medea was going to be exiled from Corinth, which she did not like. Betrayed and angered by Jason’s actions, Medea reacted horribly and cruelly to the people around her. Wanting to seek revenge, Medea plotted the deaths of the King Creon’s daughter, whom Jason was going to marry, the King, and her children, thus leaving Jason to mourn over the death of his new bride and children. Although Jason was leaving Medea for another person, Medea did not have a right to seek revenge against Jason. Upset by Jason’s betrayal, Medea maliciously plotted the death of King Creon’s daughter as her last act before her banishment. Knowing it will be suspicious if she were the...
Words: 1597 - Pages: 7
...This myth starts in Iolcus when Pelias usurped Aeson’s throne. Jason’s mother, feeling the threat, sent his son, Jason, to Centaur Cheiron. Meanwhile, Pelias was feared that someone would steal his power, just like he did. When Pelias could no longer contain his fear, he went to an oracle in Delphi. Oracle asked him to fear a man with one sandal. 20 years later, Hera, queen of the gods and goddesses, decided to revenge Pelias by returning Jason in his rightful spot. When Jason was walking towards Iolcus, across the river, Jason witnessed an old lady who was trying to cross the river. Being a philanthropist, Jason carried the elderly lady across the river. While walking across the river, Jason lost his sandal. When Jason arrived at Iolcus to claim his rightful spot, Pelias was shocked to see Jason with only one sandal. In order to preserve his power, Pelias agreed to relinquish his power if Jason accomplishes an impossible feat: to find the Golden Fleece from Colchis. Jason, realizing that it was going to an onerous journey, went to the best shipbuilder, Argos, to build his ship. With Athena’s help, Argos made the biggest and strongest ships in Greece. Also, Zeus, the king of Gods, gave Jason a gift, Dodana. Dodana made imaginary lines which helped Jason to navigate. After Argos was finished, Jason selected fifty strong men to follow his journey. His fifty men were the finest, strongest, and smartest of all men in Greece. They were known as the Argonauts. With enthusiasm and excitement...
Words: 646 - Pages: 3
...Summary Euripedes' Medea opens in a state of conflict. Jason has abandoned his wife, Medea, along with their two children. He hopes to advance his station by remarrying with Glauce, the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth, the Greek city where the play is set. All the events of play proceed out of this initial dilemma, and the involved parties become its central characters. Outside the royal palace, a nurse laments the events that have lead to the present crisis. After a long series of trials and adventures, which ultimately forced Jason and Medea to seek exile in Corinth, the pair had settled down and established their family, achieving a degree of fame and respectability. Jason's recent abandonment of that family has crushed Medea emotionally, to the degree that she curses her own existence, as well as that of her two children. Fearing a possible plot of revenge, Creon banishes Medea and her children from the city. After pleading for mercy, Medea is granted one day before she must leave, during which she plans to complete her quest for "justice"--at this stage in her thinking, the murder of Creon, Glauce, and Jason. Jason accuses Medea of overreacting. By voicing her grievances so publicly, she has endangered her life and that of their children. He claims that his decision to remarry was in everyone's best interest. Medea finds him spineless, and she refuses to accept his token offers of help. Appearing by chance in Corinth, Aegeus, King of Athens, offers Medea sanctuary in his...
Words: 520 - Pages: 3
...Thtr 133 133 Production Response Paper Medea I went to theatre to watch the play “Medea” on Feb. 20th. This show was very impressive for me. It talks about a tragedy which is relevant with Medea and her husband Jason. This play expressed how Medea avenges her husband's betrayal. Medea is a witch who has strong power and becomes angry easily. As my opinion, she loves her husband very much, but on the other hand, she can be very cruel because of her love. She used her power to enthrone Jason. What was beyond our expectation is Jason becomes sick of Medea’s cruelty, and meanwhile, he loves the other girl who is king's daughter, Glauce. Medea plans to start her revenge. Two most memorable performances come from two actors who played Medea and Jason. Their performances are very believable. I can feel them from a lot of parts, such as their tones, expressions, body languages, and emotions. Personally speaking, Medea’s object is that she wants to revenge her cheating husband. Her obstacle is her enemies who are coming for her. Jason’s object is his desire. He wants to leave Medea, and also get a great chance for the throne. But the obstacle is Medea’s revenge, because Medea wants to murder him with poison. The specific action I saw in the play is their dispute. Medea becomes very angry when she saw Jason without any guilty. In the dispute, Medea slapped Jason heavily. In this part, I can feel her angry come to the climax. In the theatre, I specially pay attention to the audience...
Words: 541 - Pages: 3
...and his men, and Poseidon’s revenge on Odysseus. These different examples of revenge in The Odyssey show the importance of the gods’ revenge in the epic journey of Odysseus. Orestes’ revenge is the first important example of the gods’ revenge in the poem. In Book 1, Hermes told Aegisthus, “’Don’t murder the man,’ he said, ‘don’t court his wife. Beware, revenge will come from Orestes…” (Homer 260). King Nestor delivers the story of Orestes’ revenge to Odysseus’ son Telemachus, while Telemachus is visiting Nestor to discover answers about his fathers’... The Character Medea's Revenge in Euripides' Medea Medea is a tragedy of a woman who feels that her husband has betrayed her with another woman and the jealousy that consumes her. She is the protagonist who arouses sympathy and admiration because of how her desperate situation is. I thought I was going to feel sorry for Medea, but that quickly changed as soon as I saw her true colors. I understand that her emotions were all over the place. First, she was angry, then cold and conniving. The lower she sinks the more terrible revenge she wants to reap on Jason. Medea's plan was set into motion. She has nothing to loose. She is even angrier because she betrayed her own father and her people for him. She even bears the burden of having Pelias killed...
Words: 3461 - Pages: 14
...I believe Amyntas is the better teammate because he is helpful, Observant, and Fair with many other good traits. Amyntas helped Leon who was his best competitor in the olympics. The text evidence for this is “So with Leon sitting on a boulder at the edge of the shrunken river, Amyntas set to work with ruthless thoroughness to clean the cut” (p.718). This text proves how he’s helpful because he was helping his friend stay free from infection from his cut even though Leon didn’t care. This is one of the things that proves he is fair also because Leon is his hardest competitor but he still helped him even though if his foot got infected he would have to drop out of the race. The text evidence I chose for supporting that he was fair is, “Let me...
Words: 327 - Pages: 2
...Medea Medea is a shocking tale about adultery and revenge that ends in four murders. The play was very likely anti-woman when it was originally written in ancient Greece, but can be seen as more pro-woman from a modern standpoint. Because plays in ancient Greece were written and performed solely for an audience of men, it is very possible that this play was a warning towards husbands about the consequences of not staying faithful to their wives. Today's view on feminism, however, sheds a different light on the rather gruesome events that take place in this work of literature. While Medea was a Greek horror story at the time it was written, major concepts of the play now appeal to modern feminist ideas. Medea addresses some important topics...
Words: 963 - Pages: 4
...Foreshadowing in Medea Sometimes the audience knows how the drama will end long before the final curtain. In Medea by Euripides, Medea’s actions in pursuit of justice and revenge against Jason are foreshadowed by the statements of the chorus, Medea’s dialogue with Aegeus, and the statements and actions of Medea. Throughout the play, three women, also known as the chorus, follow the journey Medea makes and commentate on what is happening. These women provide the reader with omens that help the audience know what happens next in the play before it actually happens. These three omens are “a young mare broke from her chariot and tore with her teeth a stallion” (Medea 2: 13-4), “a slave came up to the harbor-gate, carrying a basket of new-caught fish; one of the fish took fire and burned in the wet basket with a high flame” (2: 22-4), and “a black leopard was seen gliding through the market place” (2: 24). The horse omen foreshadows Medea, the mare, coming after and attacking Jason, the stallion. The fish omen foreshadows how Creusa and Creon die, like the fish, by burning from a fire. The leopard omen foreshadows the darkness and evil that will take over Corinth. Lastly, the women say “and women they say can do no good but in childbirth. It may be so, but she can do evil” (1: 231). This foreshadows that Medea will become evil and commit evil acts. Another instance in which foreshadowing plays an important role in the play is through the dialogue of Aegeus and Medea. It is in this...
Words: 736 - Pages: 3
...MEDEA Part 1 Analysis The first purpose of this section is to offer background information for the action about to unfold. It's important to note that at the time the play was first produced, most people in the audience would have known the story of Medea and Jason when they came into the theatre. The myth was part of Greece's cultural and societal heritage. The interest in coming to the theatre, for the Greeks, was to see how the playwright illuminated larger questions of human existence by telling the story in his particular way. This particular playwright's viewpoint appears in the conversation between the Tutor and the Nurse, specifically the Tutor's reference to selfishness ("everyone loves himself more than his neighbor"). The two main characters in this play, Medea and Jason, are models of selfishness. Both of them are concerned with meeting their own needs, acting on their own desires and doing what they think is right without any consideration for anyone else. They both take their selfishness to extremes. Jason leaves his wife for a younger, prettier and richer woman just because he wants to, and the excuses he gives for doing so in Part 2 are just that - excuses. Medea sacrifices four innocent lives because she so desperately wants to cause Jason pain. The question of whether she's justified in that desire will be examined later. Note that this is a different question from whether she's justified in killing her children. The Chorus functions in a similar...
Words: 2472 - Pages: 10
...Euripides’ Medea A. The author, Euripides a. Considered the liveliest, funniest, and most provocative of the three great Athenian tragedians whose works survive. b. Controversial for his time because of the use of colloquial language and depictions of unheroic heroes, promiscuous women and cruel, violent gods. c. Specialized in unexpected plot twists and new approaches to his mythological material. d. Use traditional myths but shifted the attention away from the hero’s deeds towards their moral and psychological weaknesses. Seen as a cynical realist about human nature; h showed people are they are. B. The Work e. Concentration on the domestic troubles in Corinth rather than a heroic quest. Jason is presented in an unheroic light because he struggles to gather up any calculated and rhetorical arguments to justify his actions towards Medea. f. Medea is categorized as a woman in a man-dominated world, a foreigner and smart person surrounded by a bunch of fools. --- seen as a symbol of feminine revolt. g. Never portrays herself as the “victim”, even as she expresses her devastation from Jason’s actions h. Explores the examination of family life, cheating, failed sexual relationships, and how it feels to be a demoralized member of society. C. Prologue/ Parados (entrance song sung by the chorus after they enter, that accompanies the prologue) The play begins with the desire to undo the beginning. (Medea’s revenge...
Words: 2780 - Pages: 12
...Women and Femininity in Medea Women’s rights movements have made incredible progress in recent times. Although there are many countries around the world where women are facing political and social unjustness, the social class of women in ancient Greece of 5th century BCE was solely grounded by patriarchal ideologies. The Greek playwright Euripides creates a persistent character Medea, in his classic tragedy Medea. Today, scholars study this relentless protagonist who has become an eternal and timeless symbol of femininity and womenfolk revolt. Whilst many themes such as passion, vengeance, and exile are present within Euripides’ Medea, the theme of women and femininity is critically manifested throughout the interactions of its central character Medea. While this theme is prominently motivated by the values of patriarchal ideology, the cunning characterization of Medea quickly alters in the beginning of the tragedy. Medea’s first tirade acts as a catalyst in her vengeful epiphany towards Jason with the use of the former characters’ words and actions and ultimately Medea’s words and actions. Within the context of Medea’s first tirade, the theme of women and femininity is initially established through her address to the Greek Chorus. Moreover, Medea’s characterization begins to alter as her interactions progress. To begin the tirade, Medea merely addresses the Greek Chorus, “Ladies of Corinth, I’ve come out, you see. I’ve come out, in a way, to defend myself” (Euripides and...
Words: 1019 - Pages: 5
