Medea as Woman, Hero and God in Euripides Play Essay

Medea as Woman, Hero and God In Euripides play the title role and focus of the play is the foreign witch Medea. Treated differently through the play by different people and at different times, she adapts and changes her character, finally triumphing over her hated husband Jason. She can feasibly be seen as a mortal woman, Aristotles tragic hero figure and even as an exulted goddess. Medeas identity as a weak woman is emphasised at the very start of the play. It is made very clear that she has come to misfortune through no fault of her own and is powerless in her problem (her world has turned to enmity). Being unable to change her situation is an example of her portrayal as a weak woman figure. We are told that she has been†¦show more content†¦However, once again though, we see this sharpness behind her veil of weakness (no bloodier spirit). With this said though, it is not a murderous, maniacal rage. She makes clear reference to the fact that she is part of the group of wretched women and that she is simply striking back as a woman scorned. When Creon comes on the stage, she continues with the pitiable appearance, begging (I kneel to you, I beseech you). She tries to persuade Creon that he has no threat from her, using the fact that she is a woman to make him disregard her power (Im in no position - a woman - to wrong a king). However, after this scene is where the image of Medea as a feeble woman ends. The Chorus indicate their pity and that Medeas plight touches our hearts. But at this point, Medea becomes the murderous and dangerous woman that will kill her children and cackle with glee at the thought of Glauces death. She declares that she manipulated Creon, fawning on him to gain my purpose. She still holds our pity but not in the same intensity (until eventually she finally loses pity almost completely in her double-infanticide). As a mother, Medea on the surface is not the best, as she eventually kills her children, ignoring their pleas for mercy (Mother, dont kill us). However, we must not ignore the heartache and pain that Medea endures in killing them. It takes incredible conviction to carry it out (parted from you, my life will be all pain andShow MoreRelatedThe Concept of the Tragic Hero: an Analysis of Jason and Medea in Euripides Medea1442 Words   |  6 PagesIn ‘Medea’, Euripides shows Medea in a new light, as a scorned woman that the audience sympathises with to a certain extent, but also views as a monster due to her act of killing her own children. The protagonist of a tragedy, known as the Tragic Hero is supposed to have certain characteristics which cause the audience to sympathise with them and get emotionally involved with the plot. 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