Thursday, October 1, 2015
Who's The Villain Here?
At the beginning of the play Medea, Medea is a victim of adultery because her husband Jason has left her for another wife. Most of the readers' empathy is directed toward Medea, but as the play rolls on and the end comes near there is a shift of empathy towards Jason. In the closing scenes the reader sees Medea kill her two children and the king along with his daughter who was suppose to wed Jason, therefore making her a villain. I was contemplating on whether or not it was appropriate to call Medea a protagonist since she is very villainous. I looked up if a protagonist could be a villain and yes it can, but of course the traditional heroic traits are abandoned. Medea is a protagonist but could also be an antagonist, since she is one of the bearers of hostilities, other than Jason. So is Medea more of a protagonist or antagonist?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I personally never liked Medea as a character in the play. From the beginning of the play, when she is moaning and wailing saying that she is going to kill herself, she was a it too dramatic for my taste. Yes, I understand that she gave up everything and killed her family just for him, but that's crazy. When ever i think about her rash decisions i think of Oedipus and how his quick to act personality is what really brings him down. Honestly, when Medea was talking to herself about how she shouldn't kill her sons, i thought that there was a shred of remorse for the woman, but nope! She had to go and ruin it all again. But to answer your question Anastasia, i think Medea was the antagonist in this play. She was evil from the beginning. Honestly, if I were Jason, I would leave her for another woman too!
I would have to agree with Ashley! I think Medea is placing the blame on Jason, even though she knows in her heart she is the one responsible for where she wound up. It was her decision to help Jason and to betray her father, her country, and kill her brother. These decisions cut off her ties with her family and country, which led her to become a foreigner. She did it all rashly, without thinking ahead to the consequences. I understand why she was so hurt by Jason’s affair, but that did not warrant the awful crimes she committed. Jason did not force her to help him retrieve the fleece, nor betray her father. She was also not forced to kill her brother! I mean is that really all she could come up with?? Chopping her brother up as a distraction? If she is as intelligent as she claims to be I am sure she could have come up with another solution. She puts the blame on Jason, but really she just feels remorse for going along with it all in the first place.
Medea definitely acts rashly when it comes to Jason, and although that can bring about what could be considered villainous characteristics, I think it more represents the lack of reason and forethought that often occurs in dealings of love. Her actions represent the frenzy of emotions that accompanies love. Medea was well-renowned for her cleverness, but there are clear lapses where her intelligence would have proved useful, but instead she lets her emotions make her decisions without much thought in what happens afterward.I think both characters could be considered protagonists in this story, and Medea's love for Jason is her tragic flaw.
Post a Comment