Comparative Essay On Modern Day Medea By Stephen King

Modern Day Medea

When reading the play Medea one might not think of Stephen King’s novel Carrie. There are however, many similarities between the two stories and the two main characters. Both characters were wronged and humiliated by people close to them. Both characters were also willing to use their supernatural abilities to take revenge on those who had wronged them.

One of the comparisons that can be made between Medea and Carrie is the fact that both characters kill everyone who wrongs them. Medea kills the majority of the characters in the play, using both the golden robe and the crown laced in poison to kill Creon and his daughter. Medea kills her children, and while she did not directly kill Jason within the play, she correctly predicts how he will die and kills his spirit. Carrie similarly kills nearly everyone who wrongs her; the entire school

Medea is afraid that if she does not make things right by ending Jason’s life, she will give her enemies another reason to laugh at her and further humiliate her.

Both Carrie and Medea both practice forms of “witchcraft.” Creon calls Medea a witch many times because she is clever and has a great knowledge of herbs. While that may not be considered witchcraft in today's terms, it was at that time. Carrie on the other hand was never specifically called a witch in the book. People who have telekinetic abilities are often called witches, and often telekinesis is associated with witchcraft. So while they may have different forms of witchcraft, they both share a supernatural ability. They also share a willingness to use that ability on those who have wronged them.

Although Medea and Carrie may not have the same main motive for revenge, they both decide to wreak havoc on those who wronged them. They both used witchcraft to display their power. They were not afraid to use this power on their own family as a result of the humiliation they