Medea

Medea had the traits of a hero, through being comparable to Achilles and Odysseus. Medea was cunning and intelligent, much like Odysseus. She was beautiful and almost untouchable, like Achilles. She never gave up when put under pressure. She knew when to lay low to stay safe.

Some gods liked her and helped her. She made the people of Corinth wiser. Medea was a combination of both Achilles' and Odysseus's qualities.

"If I can find the means or devise any scheme to pay my husband back for what he has done to me," (747). Medea did not say, "oh well, that's life," when Jason left her. Medea was independent and intelligent. This was probably her strongest attribute, her intelligence.

Intelligence was one of the best qualities of Odysseus. That is why she did not just walk up and kill Jason. She thought up a plan that would punish Jason, and that would still let her have a way to get-away.

Achilles tending Patroclus wounded by an arrow, id...

English: Triumphant Achilles: Achilles dragging th...

Briseis and Achilles in a 17th-century book illust...

She decided the best punishment was to take away all that Jason loved, but to leave him alive to suffer.

"But if you by yourself can reach my house, then you shall stay there safely. To none will I give you up." (757). Medea convinced Aigeus to let her stay with him. She convinced him through her beauty and her promise of her drugs enabling him to have children. Medea's beauty was a great quality, like how Achilles' beauty allowed him to hide from the Trojan War for a while. Also, Aigeus's promise to her made her almost invincible, like Achilles. Medea also had powerful ties to the gods. Like Achilles' the gods helped her to safety.

"You will delight me twice as much if you say they died in agony." (766). She also had heroic flaws, much like Odysseus and Achilles. Wanting Kreon and Kreon's daughter to have died an agonizing death was probably looked down upon by the gods, like how Achilles tried to desecrate Hector's body. Achilles did not want the Trojan's to have Hector's body back, and Medea did not let Jason have his sons. Killing her own two son's was also probably not pleasing to the gods, much like when Odysseus blinded Polyphemus. She got boastful and yelled to Jason her place of retreat, and Odysseus got cocky and yelled his true name to Polyphemus. Medea was blighted by a god, cupid shot her with an arrow of love; Odysseus was too punished, Poseidon continually kept him from his home. In order to be a true hero, one must have flaws as well as outstanding qualities.

Achilles and Odysseus had many great qualities that made them heroes, Medea had a combination of their qualities. She had many smart plans to keep her safe. She had help from the gods. She also was punished by other gods. She was flawed. Most importantly, she was more of a hero than Odysseus or Achilles, because she was a female and showed the ladies of Corinth how to be more independent.