The play Medea touches on all four thematic topics we wrote about last week in a very unique way. The general instincts of individuals touched upon in this day and age on each topic, however this play touches upon the topics in a much different way and manner. Medea takes a look into a family's journey in a much more taboo way than we are used to.
The way that infidelity in marriage was addressed within Medea, is that there was a light of acceptance of it throughout the play. It sheds light on a completely different aspect of the subjects we discussed in a more taboo way. Medea starts out with the journey of a married man looking to receive more power. In order to do so he leaves his wife and two children in order to receive the ability to marry Glauce in order to have promise of succeeding the king one day after he passes. Although this subject is looked at completely different in our modern day society, within the realm of this play it seems as if there is an acceptable form infidelity when it leads to power for the man. Alough this seems an acceptable way to come to leadership for Jason, it has left Medea feeling much like any other women in the modern era who has been betrayed by infidelity within her marriage. "The maid had said Medea became bed ridden and refuses to eat, pining away her fate,mans awaited homelessness." This is something that is very much relatable to women who have gone through this situation in our modern day.
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After Jason's betrayal Medea then takes it upon herself to travel to the land that he has gone to to marry Glauce and become the future leader of Corinth. She emerges from her home to face the current leader and Jason and Glauce who he has just taken her hand in marriage. Medea looks at entering the land with a different mindset than that of someone who lives in this era. "Medea traveled into a land uncharted with the intent of finally finding revenge against her, her son, and my husband." This is an example of traveling into a different land and feeling completely I welcomed being that
Medea was exhiled by the current and reigning king to try and prevent any catastrophe based on revenge for her part.
This play at the time defies gender roles as far as what is expecting in that time. It follow a woman who is scorned and takes on a masculine role not only to her children but in order to seek revenge. She speaks on behalf of the women of her time in the play talking about inequality issues as far as what is expected of the women and what is expected of the men when she emerges from her translucent state after finding out her husband's betrayal. "We are forced to become our husbands possessions in marriage, endure the pain of childbirth, and yet we are kept from participating in any public life." Her speech encouraged a form of feminism that had not been seen in that time and era, but has become a familiar song among our new generation of millennialists. This play seemed to be ahead of its time as far as gender roles were concerned between men and women and what they have to offer and provide for a family.
The next subject seems to be the most sensitive when involving this play. One that would be taboo not only for that era but also for this time and age. The end result of this play is that Medea takes it upon herself to make sure full revenge is taken upon Jason, and take into her own hands the slaughtering of her own two children. This is something that is not taken lightly in our current society let alone the society this play is written in. Medea is faced with a very particular judgement she has to make about whether to spare the lives of her own children or to murder them to seek her final stage of ultimate revenge against Jason. Medea although she loves her children dearly has come to an agreement to use them in a plot to destroy Jason and Glauce, and then later on murder them herself in order to restore balance and validity back to her own family line. “Anger, the spring of all life’s horror, masters my resolve.” And then she proceeds with the murder of her own children to spite the life of Jason, and seek full revenge. It is very rare that you can see that happening in this era between mothers and children, as we are taught that mothers have a special bond with their children from a very young age.
Hey Danielle,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your paragraph comparing infidelity in marriage in today's society vs. infidelity throughout this play. You're 100% correct in explaining that in this play's society, it seems like a man is almost encouraged to leave his wife to pursue more power. This most likely only enraged Medea more, on top of the normal angry feelings a person may feel when their significant other cheats on them. Medea does experience being an outsider throughout the play, you've cited specifically when she traveled throughout the land to pursue her revenge on Jason. While this is an example of Medea feeling like an outsider, I feel as if she has been an outsider since coming to Corinth with Jason to begin with. The people in the play describe her as a barbarian and even a drag queen, and I believe the only thing keeping her sane in a foreign land was her relationship with Jason. The minute he left her, she truly had to embrace the fact that she was alone, which probably only drove her to commit her heinous acts. I also really enjoyed reading your paragraph on Gender Roles within "Medea". I agree, the work feels as if it was ahead of its time in terms of feminism, but it is important to remember that Medea was not a great person. She may speak about the many inequalities that a woman may face in her society, but acts out of revenge and evilness through murdering every single soul close to Jason--including their own children. It is respectable for Medea to have spoke out about the outdated gender roles within her society, but the points she makes can easily be lost when word gets out about her murders. Again, I loved your paragraph about a mother's relationship with her children. Something that you've caught that I did not is that part of the reason she murdered her own children was to restore balance and validity back to her own family line. Of course this does not justify the murder of her own children, but at least provides a secondary reason rather than just out of revenge.
-Mike Paskitti