Medea

Anger is the most impotent of passions for it hurts the one who is possessed by it more than the one against whom it is directed. In Euripides’ play, Medea is an archetypal woman scorned whose tragic actions are seen as the result of an all-consuming love that has been destroyed by betrayal and infidelity. For Jason she sacrificed all; however he is incessantly blind to the pain and suffering he has caused her, whilst he greatly underestimates Medea because he thinks she is just a stereotypical jealous woman.   Thus, his duplicity of her transforms a passion into rage as Medea’s violent and intemperate heart, formerly devoted to Jason is now set on his destruction. Therefore, although we may sympathise with Medea’s plight, Jason is worthy of nothing more than our contempt.
After Medea assists Jason in his quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece, killing her brother and disgracing her native home land in the process, Jason finds a new bride despite swearing an oath of fidelity to Medea. He betrays Medea and his own children ‘for a princess’ bed’, which is the impetus for the plays tragic end. The opening appearance introduces ‘that arch-criminal Jason’ and his stubbornly narrow perspective that remains unchanged as none of the eventual suffering Jason witnesses sparks a reconsideration of his own responsibility for the destruction of his entire household. Jason justifies his new marriage with Glauce, daughter of the King of Corinth, as he hopes to advance his station by claiming it would be a benefit for Medea and the children so they can ‘live comfortably and not go without anything’. Jason represents the overall sexism of the Greek society; he goes so far as to scorn his dependency upon women: “There should have been some other way for mankind to reproduce itself”. Although it should be recognised that the average Athenian of Euripides’ time would have agreed with many of Jason’s justifications for his actions. Aggrieved by the affair Medea resolves to wound Jason and...