Medea's Actions Were Horrifying And Inhumane
Reverse Psychology in
The Medea
Gunika Datt
Candidate #: 0001760041
January 17th, 2014
Word Count: 1492
1
Medea Reflective Statement
Medea’s approach to revenge was strange. By killing her children, she causes herself and Jason unnecessary anguish but she wins that battle of pain because she gains her revenge and saves her children from future misery. In class, we discussed whether Medea was right in killing her children. I believed that Medea’s actions were horrifying and inhumane but as the discussion escalated, I began to understand
Medea’s motherly instincts towards her children. As a mother, Medea suffered an ultimatum; she could leave her children behind and subject them to abuse from the …show more content…
Medea appeals to the King’s love for his daughter and claims that she needs a day to find “support for [her] children” (Euripides 342) and asks the king to “pity” them. Even though Creon “prefer[s] to earn [her] hatred now/ Than to be softhearted and afterward regret it” (Euripides 290291), he allows Medea to remain in
7
Corinth for a day since he believes that she “can do none of the things [he] fear[s]”
(Euripides 356). The Corinthian king enters Medea’s household as a man with a full masculine character but leaves as a lesser man because Medea manipulates him.
Jason in hopes of advancing his station through marriage, provokes Medea’s anger and fuels her revenge. To the audience, he presents himself as aloof especially when he tells Medea, “in so far as you helped me, you did well enough./ But on this question of saving me, I can prove/ You have certainly got from me more than you gave” (Euripides
533535). He tries to defend his actions; “confident in his tongue’s power to adorn evil”
(Euripides 582), Jason uses irrelevant reasons such as living amongst the civilized, allowing Medea fame and honour, in order to justify the kingdom and family she gave
The Medea
Gunika Datt
Candidate #: 0001760041
January 17th, 2014
Word Count: 1492
1
Medea Reflective Statement
Medea’s approach to revenge was strange. By killing her children, she causes herself and Jason unnecessary anguish but she wins that battle of pain because she gains her revenge and saves her children from future misery. In class, we discussed whether Medea was right in killing her children. I believed that Medea’s actions were horrifying and inhumane but as the discussion escalated, I began to understand
Medea’s motherly instincts towards her children. As a mother, Medea suffered an ultimatum; she could leave her children behind and subject them to abuse from the …show more content…
Medea appeals to the King’s love for his daughter and claims that she needs a day to find “support for [her] children” (Euripides 342) and asks the king to “pity” them. Even though Creon “prefer[s] to earn [her] hatred now/ Than to be softhearted and afterward regret it” (Euripides 290291), he allows Medea to remain in
7
Corinth for a day since he believes that she “can do none of the things [he] fear[s]”
(Euripides 356). The Corinthian king enters Medea’s household as a man with a full masculine character but leaves as a lesser man because Medea manipulates him.
Jason in hopes of advancing his station through marriage, provokes Medea’s anger and fuels her revenge. To the audience, he presents himself as aloof especially when he tells Medea, “in so far as you helped me, you did well enough./ But on this question of saving me, I can prove/ You have certainly got from me more than you gave” (Euripides
533535). He tries to defend his actions; “confident in his tongue’s power to adorn evil”
(Euripides 582), Jason uses irrelevant reasons such as living amongst the civilized, allowing Medea fame and honour, in order to justify the kingdom and family she gave