Gender Roles In Jason And Medea

I want Medea to be justified in her actions, but I want this to be something that could happen to anyone. I don’t want her actions to be considered ‘what women do.’ There is also this theme of feminism and standing up for women in general. She criticizes men while using her wit to maneuver the situation properly. Medea is a cunning woman confined to this world dominated by men.

This is an ironic statement as Medea is actually planning to kill her children, a fact which the audience does not yet know about. Jason uses another form of rhetorical stretching, which includes his plea that leaving his wife and children was a ‘wise move’, and that the decision was made with Medea’s best interests at heart, as much an attempt to convince himself as much as the audience. The chorus is quick to point out that ‘You have betrayed your wife and are acting badly.’ The Nurse is our first instance of anagnorisis during the play. Though an ancient Greek audience would well be in tune with the stories in Greek mythology, the Nurse’s role would still have proved important, as she was a tool Euripides used to transport the audience

In addition, Medea had killed her own father and brother for the love of Jason. It’s evident that her revenge on Jason is greater than the love for her children. She believes that killing her children will ruin Jason’s

In the beginning everything was fine Medea and her family were welcomed with open arms but it was until Jason had left them and the house was filled with hatred because Medea was upset that he had left after all that she had done for him. She refused to eat , she stood in her room, cried the days away , sometimes she would call out for her father, her country and her home: all abandoned and betrayed for a man who now abandons her, betrays her honor and her love ( pg 6, line 32-34 ). So now she wants personal revenge to punish him for his actions only to get the delight that revenge brings to herself. Jason left from Medea ‘for a royal bed’ is said by the ( pg, line 22 ) which shows the audience to look at Jason as a selfish man. Medea did

Lush explains “Although Euripides did not cast Medea as a male solider as its protagonist, the play depicts Medea as suffering from the background Trauma, betrayal, isolation and consequent symptoms attributed to combat veterans with lasting psychological injuries” (Lush, 2014, p. 25). Hence using Lush’s view on Medea’s character as a devoted warrior suffering from Traumatic hardships in her experiences with the man she gave everything to, we can understand why she wanted revenge. Medea believes Jason owes her more than just the normal husband-wife obligations a man swears to when marrying a woman; in her view, she helped him be the man that he is and supported him throughout his heroic journey. Without her, Jason would not have succeeded in retrieving the Golden Fleece. Without her, he would not have had his father resurrected.

Many agree that Jason leaving Medea for Glauke caused all the fury as well as all the tragedies that occurred, but Jason isn’t completely at fault. In ancient Greek society, as well as and many other ancient societies, males were seen as the dominants in relationships and were not judged or punished for leaving their wives. Jason was raised his whole life in an environment that propelled him to think of women as lesser while thinking really highly of himself after his great and perilous travels. Sexism was the norm in ancient Greece after all. Maybe Jason is the tragic hero, and his flaw is his lust for power and his longing to create a brighter future for his offspring.

Of course Jason was the one thing Medea would care about the most along with the children. So she spears Jason’s heart out by saying, “I saved your life-- as every Greek on the Argo will confirm. I helped you harness the fire-breathing bulls, plough the field of death, sow the dragon’s teeth. I killed the sleepless serpent, guardian of the Golden Fleece, and lit you to safety. I abandoned my father and my home and went with you to Iolcos: ( Iolcus is where Jason is from ) showing more love than sense.

Medea has already lost her husband and her home so this decision is an obvious one for her. She wants to leave everyone in the same misery that she has been experienced and continues to experience. After this, she even plans to murder her own children just to distress Jason further. Medea knows that she will live in regret and misery by doing so, but her need to sadden Jason trumps her own future feelings. The murder of her sons also symbolizes the death of her marriage with Jason.

Medea plots her revenge by murdering the king, the bride and her two children in order to make Jason suffer and take away everything Jason cared about. The Greek gods felt that Medea was in her right and they proved this by allowing and even helping her escape in the end of the play

Medea has many untraditional characteristics for a woman who lived in the time of antient Greek. Medea’s is very headstrong and opinionated these aspects are none traditional in Greek standards. Women are only being incorporated into two roles: mothers and wives, nothing more. She defies her gender by exhibiting both male and female characteristics. Her ability to separate herself from her “womanly” emotions at times and perform acts that society does not see women capable of doing, further prove her ability to adapt to different situations.

However, this was clearly not his intention because he did nothing to prevent his children being kicked out into the wild. Unsurprisingly, Medea became enraged and sought to obtain the justice she was not able to obtain. She wanted to judge Jason based on his inexplicable actions. He abandoned his paternal duties and were willing to start a new life, while she and their children were left to

Euripides created a modern day woman who seeks justice and revenge with her cleverness and power. Medea acted as a feminine heroine who established that women can also be as strong as men. The feeling of being left by someone you love is truly painful hence, Medea expressed her emotions as much as she can and mourned for her lost. It is true that women can be sensitive and emotional so there was Medea portraying a usual woman in an unusual manner.

Not only did this hurt Jason, but it also hurt the Corinthian king,his daughter and many more. Medea felt justified in her homicidal acts because she had given up so much to be with Jason. Medea’s nurse explained how the main character abandoned her life for a man she believed she loved, “Sometimes she turns to look away, to call out for her father, her country and home: all abandoned and betrayed for a man who now abandons her, betrays her honor and her love. She has learned the hard way what it is to be an exile to had given up everything” ( lines 29-36.)

Jason’s new marriage with Glauce plummeted Medea into revengeful and passionate fury. She had given up everything to live with Jason after which he had cheated and tricked her. This makes the readers sympathize with Medea. Jason had spurned the privacy, purity, sanctity of their marriage sphere. In the process of wanting to gain honor, he had backstabbed Medea by demoting her from the status of a legal wife to that of a concubine.

Medea, the protagonist, is a woman driven by extreme emotions and extreme behaviors. Because of the passionate love she had for Jason, she sacrificed everything .. However, now his betrayal of her transformed the beautiful loving passion to uncontrollable anger, hatred and a desperate desire for revenge. Her violent and temperamental heart, previously devoted to Jason, now moving towards its doom.