Medea in Never too Late to Read Classics

Mar 27, 2023 Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-kindle, internet-archive, classics-trad-and-modern, greek-roman-myths-and-legend, play, 2023-read

This was a quick but hard hitting read that raised lots of thought provoking questions.
Medea betrays and leaves her home and family for Jason. When he decides to leave her to marry a another woman, her wrath is kindled and it is savage!

"..she is deadly, let me tell you, and none who spark her rage will walk away."

This brief play touches on a wide variety of issues.
Medea's identity as an outsider is pivotal - she's estranged from her own home and family and lives and an exile with Jason her husba This was a quick but hard hitting read that raised lots of thought provoking questions.
Medea betrays and leaves her home and family for Jason. When he decides to leave her to marry a another woman, her wrath is kindled and it is savage!

"..she is deadly, let me tell you, and none who spark her rage will walk away."

This brief play touches on a wide variety of issues.
Medea's identity as an outsider is pivotal - she's estranged from her own home and family and lives and an exile with Jason her husband, but upon his remarrying she faces further exile herself. The sense of displacement and lack of belonging runs through the play.

The role of women is addressed by the chorus and the characters. Medea herself bemoans the fate of women who are thrown into the strange environment of a husband's home and expected to thrive and fit in. Jason wishes children could be got without women, but both Jason and Creon acknowledge Medea's power and potential to harm them.

"And being women, barred by birth from the noble deeds of men, we have mastered the art of manipulation - to become the most skilful architects of harm."

"History is made by women, just as much as men."

The idea of loyalty and duty is also important. Jason neglects his duty to Medea and she resents this, having given up everything for him and herself betrayed her own family. Perhaps her own betrayal causes her to expect unwavering loyalty from Jason, and when he fails her, she reflects on all she has lost and becomes vengeful. She feels there is nothing more to lose.

"I understand what I am about to do, but the rage in my heart is stronger than my reason."

Jason and others try to tell her she is being unreasonable and sexual desire/jealousy are clouding her judgement. Is that the only driving force behind her revenge? I feel it minimises it to reduce it to lust or jealousy. She has literally lost everything. She is often described as a "barbarian" or "wild woman" and her actions seen as unnatural. Does her ultimate action of revenge consolidate her madness?

Such a great, quick and thought provoking read and despite it's gruesome resolution I had some sympathy for Medea. ...more

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