The medea

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorHigh School, 12th grade February 2008

download word file, 3 pages 3.0

Downloaded 23 times

In Euripides play, "The Medea", Medea is an example of a women who suffered from her stolen innocence. She is a princess from the non-Greek land of Colchis. The outcome of her trials with her husband Jason has caused her to become the powerful, barbarian like women she portrays in the end of the play. Medea's memory of her young naïve self evokes her lost identity that leads her to her eventual ruthlessness. The center plot of the play is how Medea's barbarian origins originated from Jason's actions. His leaving her caused her to become the personification of revenge.

Medea fell in love with a man named Jason who was new to her homeland where she was safe and secure. She is taken from her land and her family for the love of Jason, she is basically a piece of clay that he molds. She questions why she left her homeland, why she gave up absolutely everything, only for it to result in Jason taking a new bride.

She feels empty and guilty and often "moans to herself, calling out her fathers name, and her land, and her home betrayed when she came away with a man who is now determined to dishonor her" (60). She has only hatred towards Jason, which leads to her miserable being.

Jason has a new bride now, "so Jason neglects his children" (62). This causes only more pain for Medea. Jason decided that he wanted to divorce Medea and marry the princess of Corinth, casting Medea aside as if they had never been married. Not only is Medea paying for the divorce, the two children are also effected by it. This sort of activity was acceptable for Greek standards, but not for Medea. Medea will not accept anything less until she...