What for did Medea Kill Her Own Children?

The Reason Medea Kill Her Own Children

Medea was not only a wife but also a mother. Though a barbarian, she loved deeply her children. Medea loved her children as much as any mother of the civilized races did. Now her love of the children had been turned into the bitterest hatred. It was not hatred for the children but for their father. She hated her children, and seeing them felt no joy. The servants had a misgiving that the children might be slain. She had often turned her wild and blood-thirsty eyes upon them. So the Nurses as well as the servants advised them not to go in the presence of their mother. We hear the lamentations of Medea from within. As soon as she saw her children, she flared up. She sought to destroy the children only with the father and the whole race. She excited a feeling of horror and our pity and sympathy as well. Medea was a wronged mother and wife. She killed the children only to rend Jason’s heart which would prove fatal to him. He failed to save them and it was a terrible wound to his heart. He could never forget it which would be a long suffering to him.

 

 

This is called the “child motive”. The children had nothing to do. Medea had an intense motherly feeling, yet she killed them, just to deal a terrible blow to Jason’s mind and this wound would never be healed. It would bring an intolerable suffering which would fetch his end.