Medea Feminist Analysis

To help her with her role as Medea, Maia makes frequent visits to Brenda Palmer, a woman who has been labeled “the Medea of Glyfada” for killing her three children in response to her husband’s adulterous actions, just as Medea did in the play. Despite being set in different time periods and having a slightly different plot, Jules Dassin’s Dream of Passion and Euripides’ Medea are very similar. Euripides’ Medea and Dassin’s Dream of Passion are similar in that they both cast the woman as a complex protagonist. This is done specifically by showing Maia’s transformation in the movie, allowing the reader or author to sympathize with the female killer, portraying the female as a powerful character, and casting the men in third roles. As the
At the start of the movie and play, the viewer or reader is lead to believe that the killer is completely irrational and barbaric for killing their own children. However, as the story progresses, their actions are justified by the author. Brenda had felt so betrayed by her husband, Roy, that she wanted him to suffer. At first, she told Roy that she would kill herself due to her sorrow. When Roy seemed unaffected by this threat, she decided to take something from him that he valued more, his children. Although she loved her children, the satisfaction of Roy suffering outweighed the anguish of losing her own children. When presented in this manner, the viewer is lead to understand Brenda’s emotions and motives for acting out in violence, especially after being disrespected and abandoned so much by her husband. Similarly, as Euripides’ play progresses, Medea is portrayed as more rational and her actions were justified in getting revenge over her unfaithful husband. This can be seen in the quote from line 187-190: “O great Themis and noble Artemis, do you see what I am having to endure, when I'm the one who bound that cursed man, my husband, with strong promises to me?” Jason is portrayed as foolish from the start of the play in which he takes credit for Medea’s work to obtain the Golden
In both the movie and the play, Jason is showed to be foolish and irrational. As opposed to how men are usually portrayed, Jason appears to act with passion rather than reason, and this makes him appear weak. This can be seen in the scene from Euripides’ story in which Jason and Medea obtain the Golden Fleece. Medea is the stronger character that enables them to safely obtain the Golden Fleece, rather than Jason. A quote from line 561-567 shows that Medea indeed deserved credit for the majority of their work: “ I saved your life—every Greek who sailed with you on board that ship the Argo can confirm it—when you'd been sent to bring under the yoke the fire-breathing bulls, and then to sow the fields of death. And I killed the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece, coiled up there, staying on watch and never going to sleep.” Contrary to Medea’s responsible character in this situation, Jason’s character takes credit for their feat which was due to Medea’s actions. Also, the simple fact that Jason has less lines in Euripides’ play indicates that his character has a third role. With Jason playing a reduced role, Medea is able to steal the spotlight and be interpreted as the protagonist of this