A lady who has been harmed by the one she cherishes will look for vengeance until she never again feels for them. Ladies are brilliant and they know how to utilize what they have to hurt those who have harmed them. They will take the necessary steps to get and give retribution to the individuals who have treated them terribly. Medea is a lady who took drastic measures to get revenge on her husband but, in the end, it flipped on her and she lost the loves of her life. She feels as if she needs to bring the same pain she feels to the ones who brought pain to her. Medea is a savvy, vile, and hurt lady and it shows throughout the entire play.
She demonstrates her knowledge when she convinces the king to give her another day which leads him to his death. Medea says, “I’m not worried about myself, but I feel the hardship it brings to my sons” (448). King Creon gives her the extra day because he feels bad about exiling the two innocent boys. Medea knew Creon would fall for this plea because she says, “But he is such a credulous fool, when he had the chance to throw me out and foil my plans, he gave me one more day” (449). Despite Medea being a smart lady, she really lets her emotions govern her actions.
Her vile ways turn out when she slaughters her very own kids so she can hurt the man that hurt her. This is a serious step in her plan, and she wrestles with the idea of actually killing her own sons. While he’s talking to the boys Jason asks, “But you, why are your cheeks covered with tears?” she says, “Its nothing—just thought of these children” (461). When the tutor comes back with the news of the boys no longer being exiled and Medea is crying, the tutor wonders why and she says, “I can’t help it old friend. Terrible plans have been devised by the gods—and by me”(463). She is having an emotional conflict in her head over the thought of killing her kids for the sake of revenge and it shows as the moment approaches. Medea will take any necessary steps to get the revenge she seeks on her husband.
At last Medea did what she believed she needs to do to the man that broke her heart. She utilized her misery, brain, and wickedness to give Jason what she thought he deserved. She completed her whole plan without laying a finger on Jason, King Creon, or Princess Gluake. Medea took it too far with the murder of her sons but everything else is just a lady doing what a lady does best, returning a favor. Bringing me back to the statement that ladies are brilliant and will take the necessary steps to get and give retribution to the individuals who have treated them terribly.
Works Cited
Euripides. Medea. The Norton Anthology of World Literature Shorter Fourth Edition. Vol 1, edited by Martin Puchner, et al., W. W. Norton, 2017, pp. 441- 472.