Character Analysis: Medea Essay

Character Analysis: Medea

Medea may be considered one of the world first feminists. Her story is a jealous and vengeful one of a woman betrayed by her husband, Jason. And though she is believed to be truly evil, she is the protagonist of the play. Medea left her father (King Aeetes), her country (Colchis) which is barbarian territory, and manipulated the daughters of Pelias to murder their own father (Jasons Uncle) all out of her love for Jason. The play begins as he leaves her and marries the daughter of Creon, ruler of Corinth. Medea is courageous, clever, powerful, reckless, and evil. Her actions manifest from pure evil and she seems not to have a conscience or the ability of remorse.

Medea is a character of extreme emotion which is apparent from the beginning. Her love had no bounds; plainly, she was willing to destroy anyone/anything that got in her way. She is beyond ordinary and coherent. Medeas emotions flip from passion and love to rage and hate. But that marriage has changed. Now they are enemies. Their fine loves grow sick (pg 1). In the beginning Medeas passion towards Jason is so great she steals from her father, murders her brother, and causes the death of Jasons Uncle, Pelias. Later her passion turns to rage when he alienates her and she begins planning the murders she will commit in an ultimate way to hurt Jason for leaving her. She speaks to the Corinthian women and asks them to keep her secret if she were to find a way to punish Jason, his bride, and her father, And so I want to ask something from you. If I find some way to punish Jason for these injustices, along with his bride and father too, say nothing. In other things, but when shes hurt in love, her marriage violated, theres no heart more desperate for blood than hers. (pg 8). When Jason betrayed her, he becomes the enemy she must conquer at all costs. High in extreme emotion of rage, she could not respond rationally and acted out of instinct willing to pay the price whatever the cost. Even lives of the ones she holds most dear, her own children. The pleasure of witnessing Jasons suffering over the loss of his new wife, father-in-law, and even his own children outweighed her own remorse over the loss of her children. Besides for the reason of hurting Jason, Medea says she, herself, must kill her children because she doesnt want them to be harmed by her enemies when she leaves for exile, but truly she is still thinking for herself. Im going to kill my children Ill leave, evading punishment Id receive for murdering my darling children, a sacrilegious crime. You see, my friends, I wont accept my enemies contempt. (pg 25).

Medea is also the master of manipulation. And as she manipulates each person, great consequences follow. She manipulates Peliass daughters to kill their father by saying she would use her mystical power to restore his youth and revive him but doesnt. She uses her manipulative power on Creon asking for another day before she is banished and as he accepts he is sealing the fate of the lives of his daughter and himself, But the mans completely foolish when he had the power to prevent me from planning anything, by sending me put of his land, he let me stay one day, a day when Ill turn three of my enemies into corpses (pg 12). Medea then manipulates Jason to cajole his wife to allow their children to stay and then she sends the children with lethal gifts doused in poison, a horrific sight. She changed color, staggered back and sideways, trembling, then fell into her chair again, almost collapsing on the floor.until she saw the white spit foaming in her mouth, her eyes bulging in their sockets, and hr pale skin quite drained of blood (pg 37). This leads to the death of the princess as she wears her gifts and the king as he embraces his daughters corpse while still poisonous. Medea also manipulates the chorus women but with little drastic consequence. Medea also manipulates Aegeus, King of Athens and one of her friends, as he is searching for the answer for he being able to have children and Medea makes a bargain that if he takes her in and does not give her up, she will give him a medicine that will allow him to have children with his wife, Accept me as a suppliant into your home, your native land. If you will take me in, may the gods then answer your desire to have childrenI know the sort of medicine to use, and I can help you have lots of children. (pg 23)

Medea is a complex character but is not round, she doesnt necessarily change throughout the story; she is still the selfish manipulator as she was in the beginning. Though she did complete her objective, to destroy Jasons house and leave him lonely and alone, her acts were still monstrous. Medea achieves the very conclusion she yearned for, she left for Athens without punishment and crushed Jason. Medea is many things but above all she definitely perseveres until she reaches her goal.