Love continues through Euripides’s Medea. Euripides’s Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy based on the myth of Medea and Jason. The play that was discussed about in class is based on the actions of Medea who was a princess of the Colchis Kingdom. Medea can be described as a fine line just between hate and love but we wonder what one is more than the other. It seems as if she is loving wife but also a dangerous enemy at the same time in which the readers tend to discover throughout the play the real truths of Medea’s passion, murder and motherhood.
Medea fell in love with Jason from the first day she saw he. They were married after Medea had worked with Jason against Medea’s father in defeating the three tests. After the marriage, the King was against everything and Medea’s father send Medea’s brother to follow them and return Medea. With the assistance of Jason, Medea killed and scattered the remains of her brother in the sea. After giving birth to two children, Jason fell in love with another lady. Medea was infuriated and started to revenge. Her furious anger resulted in the death of her two children, Jason’s new wife, King Creon, while also breaking the heart of many more people. All the actions show infatuation, and revenge against the decision of Jason to marry another woman. Even though, Jason and Medea were in love, the story of love is evident in the play.
Medea fell in love with Jason, and she was determined to support any decision provided he would marry her. The first love was evident when Medea decided to fall in love with Jason. Medea played an important in ensuring Jason succeeded in the numerous tasks. It started with Jason been able to plow a field with fire breathing oxen. Medea used an ointment into ensuring Jason went through the flames. The second that assigned to Jason was to defeat the army of warriors. The warriors sprouted from the dragon’s teeth on the field. Medea was able to give special instructions that allowed Jason to become victorious.
The third task was overcoming the sleepless dragon, which had been tasked with guarding the Golden Fleece. “And I killed the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece, coiled up there/staying on watch and never going to sleep” (14). Medea gave Jason a potion that enabled Jason to defeat the dragon because the dragon fell asleep. These numerous activities show the determination and the expectation of persons in love. The decision was to take the Golden Fleece, which was possible because of the association of the two parties.
The love of Medea towards Jason is evident when they arranged to kill Apsyrtus. Apsyrtus was a half-brother to Medea and King Aeetes had requested Apsyrtus to follow them and return Medea back home. Jason and Medea wanted to stay together and the solution was killing the brother. In addition, the two decided to scatter the body parts of Apsyrtus in the sea. “You slaughtered your brother in your home, then came aboard our fine ship, the Argo. That's how you began” (40). The objective was to distract her father, which allowed them to sail away. Imagining that someone kills a person because of love shows the determination to maintain the love. Thinking that an individual is ready to kill another person especially a family member shows the determination of love. Medea preferred the live to Jason compared to the love to her brother. Such behaviors and attitudes show the determination of an individual to influence the direction of the society, and other operational needs and requirements.
Love is also based on the long-term goals and objectives. In Corinth, Medea and Jason lived peacefully but Jason was determined to become King. Jason fell in love with Glauce with the objective to be a further King. King Creon of Corinth was determined to ensure Glauce got married to Jason. Jason was determined to marry, which shows a twisted form of love. King Creon says, “You there, Medea, scowling in anger against your husband. I'm ordering you out of Corinth” (8). King Creon shows the determination to ensure her daughter is married to Jason. Sending Medea away is an appropriate strategy to control everything including the aim to determine the direction of their marriage. Due to love, King Creon was ready to use his authority to assert his position in the society and marriage arrangements. Therefore, it shows the role of love that parents have for their children.
The play also shows Kings also love their children whatever the circumstances. King Creon push showed the role of love towards his daughter. The King knew that the future of his daughter would be guaranteed provided both married. The love was also evident when the King was burned when he tried to save his daughter. Euripides says, “onto his knees, but she held him down. If he used force, he tore his ancient flesh clear off his bones. The poor man at last gave up. His breathing stopped, for he couldn't stand the pain a moment longer. So the two of them lie dead—” (36). King Creon held his daughter while they were burning. King Aegeus showed the ability of love and the determination of love to protect his son. Aegeus ensured protection of his son through sending away Medea: Medea fled back to Cochlis. Without the actions of King Aegeus, it means that Medea would have killed another person. Therefore, the love and aspirations of King Aegeus is to continue maintaining the relations with his son even through the son had originally left. Other parents might have not welcomed back the child but the actions of King Aegeus show the extent and limits of love.
The love of Medea towards Jason is evident in the decision to use her powers. For example, Medea gave Glauce a wedding gown with poison. The poison gown burned her alive while he wore it. Medea asks the Messenger who was running to her side what the problem was and the Messenger said, “The king's daughter has just been destroyed, her / father, too—Creon. You poisoned them.” These are some of the expectations that Medea was expectation. After sometime, Medea replies, “I have some remarks to offer in reply. But, my friend, don't be in such a hurry. Tell me of their deaths. If you report they died in pain, you'll double my rejoicing” (34). The objective of Medea was not only the death but also the experience of the death. It means that Medea wanted the most painful death for the people who caused pain for him. The pain was only possible provided the death was painful. Therefore, the experiences and objectives of Medea were achieved through the painful death.
Medea loved her children. However, the love was divided because she knew the possible consequences of her action. Jason says, “When you married me and bore my children, in your lust for sex and our marriage bed, you killed them. No woman from Greece would dare to do this, but I chose you as my wife” (40). For example, she decided to kill her two children. Medea had initially said, “I've made up my mind, my friends. I'll do it—kill my children now, without delay, and flee this land. I must not hesitate” (37). The decision to kill the children was because of perceived revenge. The perspective was that the children were to be targeted because of the crimes of Medea.
The love for children is inevitable pointing to the decisions of Medea. After Medea’s escape to Aegeus, she decided to marry King of Athens. She gave birth to a son but Medea was afraid of the position of Theseus who was the lusty song of the King. Medea believed that the return of Theseus would imply that her son would not become the King. The decision influenced Medea to push King Aegeus to send Theseus to kill a deadly beast. Theseus was able to return as a victor. She subsequently decided to poison Theseus to ensure her son become a King. However, she was not successful.
In conclusion, the topic of love is evident in the play Medea. Medea was determined to maintain the love at any cost possible. Media killed her brother and her two children provided she maintained the love with her husband. She went to the extent of killing the new wife to her husband. The determination is to measure the love continues at any possible costs. The two Kings indicates the importance of love. The Kings were ready to defeat their children and support the objectives of their children. These numerous decisions were aimed at ensuring the importance of love was championed and upheld.
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Medea’s Love And Hate: Passion, Murder And Motherhood.
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