The play “Medea” written by Euripides is a story about a barbarian girl who had sacrificed everything for her husband who betrays her when the chance of being more powerful comes. Basically the main character Medea is suffering from seeing her husband Jason for whom she betrayed her family and went to exile while Jason on his turn is leaving her for his self-interest over power and prestige by marrying the princess. Thus Medea is insulted by this and is set on looking for revenge on him and everybody around him. Her hatred for Jason became so intense that it looks like she will go to any level to hurt him and it seems possible for her to sacrifice even their own children just to hurt him. Though Medea is outraged, her action can’t be defended because she is consumed by revenge over reason. The play highlights a conflict of interest base on Medea’s murders to satisfy her desire.

First of all, Medea’s crime can’t be defended even though the play show us her obsessional love for her husband who betrayed her. Love as an intense feeling of deep affection that can also be explained as a strong feeling base on sexual attraction to someone plays an important role in this part of the play.Medea action is base on her love which clearly show us her selfishness because she committed unspeakable action by even killing her own brother, her father left her land for her husband. Also Medea’s sacrifice in the play is seeing as a way to buy her husband. Medea didn’t hesitate to do anything because she was just motivated on helping Jason in order for her to be his wife. Thus such love as her motivation Medea committed a lot of injustice and even cruelty just to fulfill her desires.

“I killed

Pelias, in the cruelest possible way:

At his own children’ hands. I ruined their children”

Medea ‘crime is cruel and can’t be justify because is it illegal to kill a person but Medea’s crime here is more than an illegal act, you understand her barbarian behavior. In addition Medea by herself describing her injustice led us to understand that Medea was not forced to do what she did and was under no pressure since she act voluntarily. Medea says:

“Here is my situation. I’ve become

an enemy to my own family, those

whom I should love, and I have gone to war

with those whom I had no reason at all

to hurt, and all for your sake.”

In life people most of the time regret good thing they have done for others when those are not grateful or hurt them and especially when the person don’t fulfill their expectations. Medea case especially haven’t done a good thing and she is payed back by life what she has done and that’s where you understand in the play that what goes around comes around.

Secondly, Medea is accused base on her passion for revenge and for not being rational which is to be able to think about the positive and negative of things before making a decision. The main character’s search for revenge stars when her husband leaves her to marry the princess and daughter of the king Creon only to gain power and prestige. Medea is devastated by this and is willing to make justice by herself in barbaric way by having their blood on her hand.

“I will punish. He shall never see alive again

The sons he had from me.from his new bride he never

Shall breed a son; she by my poison, wretched girl,

Must die a hideous death.”

Effectively, love by being that strong feeling that makes you connected to another individual who is called your lover is what gives a sense to some people’s life so seeing that person getting a ride of you is sometime inconceivable. Especially for Medea it is unthinkable to lose that husband for whom she betrayed her own family and left her land to exile somewhere else only to fully live her love and to dedicate her life to him. Also the theme of this tragedy, Medea is revenge but with love as a motivating factor. Obviously Medea actions could be justified by her strong love for Jason but still no one can be justify for killing another person no matter what the person has done to you.

“He is such an idiot.

He could have thrown me out, destroyed my plans;

Instead he is granted me a single day

To turn three enemies into three dead bodies:

The father, and the bride, and my own husband.”

Love as a principal factor for killing people around a lover who betrays us is insane. When, a person is deeply in love that person is willing to fight the world for his or her lover but killing people for love is worthy of condemnation. Nevertheless, Medea is subject of condemnation for killing the princess and her father because nobody is allow to make justice by himself and especially by killing other individuals. This paragraph also led us to understand the theme revenge in Medea which is like saying “what goes around comes around” in the sense that Medea has a strong desire to get back from Jason what he did to her.

Definitely, Medea is worthy of condemnation base on her atrocities on people around her husband. Though the main character is suffering for unethical treatment from her husband Jason for his betrayal, and the king Creon for his unfairness by deciding to kick her out of Corinth. Nevertheless Medea can’t still be defending because she has a bloody hand. Also Medea’s crime went further than our expectations which is the murder of her own children just for her husband to feel worst than he is supposed.

“To kill your own children! Can you steel your

Heart? To which she replies

This is the way to deal Jason deepest wound”

Evidently, it is unbelievable to kill other people around a person who betrayed us but killing your own children only to hurt a husband who gave up on you, it is being heartless. Medea passion for revenge or for making justice overstepped the boundaries of justice by the killing of her own children. Also the main character’s passion ends up with the ability to become a strength and motivation for her avengement. The main character deep love for her husband causes her do to anything for him and by being played back with a betrayal from her husband made her crazy and irrational.

“I’ll send them (children) to the palace bearing gifts, a dress

Of soft weave and coronet of beaten gold.

If she takes and puts on this finery, both she

And all who touch her will expire in agony;

With such a deadly poison I’ll anoint my gifts

… I will kill my sons.”

Basically, this long speech explains Medea’s rage and her plan of revenge against people she sees as her enemies. People always seek for revenge when they get hurt from other but Medea’s revenge has been by committing murder and murder which is in no way justify in legal or moral point of view. Medea’s passion for revenge because of the wrong and injustice done by her husband but no matter how hurt she is there is no excuse for the murder of a person for revenge and especially Medea killed several people including her own children.

In conclusion, Medea the main character who sacrificed her life for her husband, is seeing herself involve in a passionate fight against injustice base on her husband or lover betrayal. Though Medea is cursed from her husband betrayal she is obsessed by vengeance than rational then she overstepped the boundaries of justice by the killing of people around her husband and especially her own children just to satisfy her desire. Even though Medea has been betrayed by her husband she can’t in any way be possibly defended for her action and we need to understand what could have been done to avoid Medea to commit that much crime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference:

Euripides.The Norton Anthology.World Literature.Euripides’s Medea.New York, N.Y:

Greek  Drama Co.,Vol A Ltd, 1985.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover Letter

Dear Reader.

In my own opinion, for my essay paper I tried to reach out the road of success in its development by finding out a lot of evidence to condemn Medea for her action and provide to the audience that Medea action was voluntarily founded and with the only reason of satisfying her self-interest. Basically on page 796 I had a perfect understanding of the point I was trying to make and it is where you understand Medea’s plan to kill other people in addition to what she has done before with her brother and father. Thus I develop my idea base on the evidences and self interpretation of the nature of the problem in the play which is multiple murder or tragedy just to the satisfaction of the main character because of her deep feeling for her betrayal husband. Finally although all that hard work I have done I still feel the need of working on my evidences and the way I have to cite them.

 

Sincerely

Bakary Kida