Medea is More Sinned Against Than Sinning
Medea appears to be the mouthpiece of
the oppressed women. She has given expression to her feelings very
passionately. Euripides’ treatment of his subject irritates the simple man in
two ways. He made his characters half-good and half-bad. He made a point of
studying his characters sympathetically. Many regions of thought and character
were exposed.
Medea was an Asiatic and from the
European point of view, a barbarian. She lacked refinement and could never
forget that she was a princess of a rich land. She had inordinate pride and
passion. It was her ungovernable temper that led her far. She did not posses
true softness of the woman’s heart. As she was a alien, she had not been
accepted in her new household. Everybody looked askance at her and she was
always afraid of public ridicule. Right from the beginning of the drama we are
drawn we are drawn to her. The nurses, the Messenger were sympathetic to her.
So Medea should have been acceptable to all. But the table was changed by the
second marriage of Jason and she was asked to leave their land with the
children. She was a sorceress and knew how to teach Jason, Creon an Glauce a
lesson. Even she did not spare her own children. At any cost she must avenge
the betrayal and pay Jason by her own coins. She became artful to save herself
and changed her behaviors to be fool Jason. She was infuriated and became
firmly determined to take revenge for the wrong done to her by Jason. She had
to undergo long sufferings. She was forced to do whatever she had done. So in
short, we may conclude that Medea was more sinned against than sinning.
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