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Medea Tragic Hero

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Medea’s epiphany strikes while she battles internally with herself on whether she should kill her sons or not. She states, “The evil that I do, I understand full well/ But a passion drives me greater than my will” (266). It is evident that Medea recognizes that what she is doing is immoral in every way, yet the desire to fulfill her revenge remains unshakeable and too intense to ignore. It is also important to note that Medea has chosen to murder her sons, rendering her undoing that much greater compared to that of any of other character. She has forgone mercy, love, and humanity since what she feels is more powerful than any other feeling she has had thus far in her life. Medea becomes a monster that is determined to destroy the new life that …show more content…

One of the main reasons he is the wrong candidate is that he does not possess any of the attributes that would make him a classic tragic hero. Jason does not kill the guardian of the Golden Fleece; failing to slay the guardian makes him look weak and unqualified for the title of a hero. In fact, his mission would have been unsuccessful had it not been for Medea swooping in and saving him and his people. Jason also makes the decision to leave his wife for another woman. Medea bore him two sons, yet he determines that her efforts are not enough for him, opting to find someone else that can fulfill his needs. One could even say that he was offering her assistance when she was complaining about being estranged, but this would seem very shallow on his behalf. Jason is offering his help merely out of pity and in consideration of his sons. He is much less concerned about Medea because he knows that she is strong and can survive on her own, however he does acknowledge that the same cannot be said for his children. Jason states, “To turn this offer down…is nothing short of madness” (259). Exasperated with her behavior, he talks to her as if she is juvenile and naïve. One of his greatest flaws is his oblivion; had he recognized how powerful and passionate Medea was, he would not have abandoned her to begin with. Jason’s epiphany strikes at the …show more content…

One of the first instances where the reader can see fate in action is in the First Episode. The Chorus states, “Ill-starred woman…God has certainly steered you…Into a sea-race of sorrows” (255), telling Medea that she has been cursed by God to live a life of sorrow and pain and the curse is both irreversible and inevitable. Another example presents itself in the Fourth Choral Ode, Strophe 2 when Jason is “…to bring on [his] sons a demise” (264). One can take this to mean that Jason is destined to lead his sons to their death, possibly suggesting that this prophecy was almost set in stone and unavoidable. These examples of fate at work demonstrate how Medea, Jason and their children are damned from the start and have no power to change or control the future. A key moment in the play that emphasizes one of life’s many universal concepts appears in the Second Choral Ode when the Chorus says, “Love is a dangerous thing; / Loving without any limit” (259). The concept of love holds a vital role in the play because it can either be fair and pleasing or cruel and harmful. Labeled as borderline possessive, Medea’s love for Jason seems dangerous because she loved him so much to the point where she could not bear to see him happy if not by her side. Another example of a common life-lesson situation emerges in the Sixth Episode when the Messenger states, “the people who know best or seem

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