It is hard to sympathize for Medea by the end of the tragedy. At first I feel for Medea because she gives up everything to be with a man who eventually leaves her for another person. However, even early on, Medea portrays inhumane and sadistic behavior when she murders her own brother and cuts him into pieces. By the end of the story, it is nearly impossible to sympathize for Medea because she poisons the innocent princess and the beloved king. Later on, she slaughters her own children. I, personally, could never identify with a person willing to kill her own children and thus have zero pity or sympathy for Medea by the end of the play.

What do you guys think? Do you sympathize for Medea?

Sympathy for Medea?

I don’t think I could sympathize with Medea because she makes such rash and radical decisions. Her husband did leave her for another women but she was a barbarian woman. He left for material reasons and still offered to provide support to her, however, that is his karma not hers. He may not have made the right decisions but she let her jealousy over power her. It is unfair for her to murder her children because of her husband's actions. She should love them wholeheartedly and want to protect them from any further loss.

Medea and Jason: Who is the Tragic Hero?

Since the action in Euripides' Medea revolves around Medea's plan to take revenge against her unfaithful husband, many readers probably jump to the conclusion that Medea is the tragic character in the play. I could certainly argue that Medea embodies many tragic characteristics. However, I could similarly contend that Jason is the true tragic figure in Medea. I consider the end of the play morally ambiguous; thus, the tragic character's identity is unclear. Who do you consider to the be true tragic character?

The Tragic Hero

In Oedipus the King, Oedipus demonstrates hubris and extreme zeal, which leads to his downfall. According to Aristotle, tragedy is the result of free choice and not necessarily accident, but Oedipus's "hamartia" becomes evident in his realizations about his relationships with his mother and children. Oedipus appeals to the audience through his heart breaking awareness, and leads to a true catharsis. He cries about his curse, "you are fated to couple with your mother, you will bring a breed of children into the light no man can bear to see-you will kill your father, the one who gave you life!" and even gouges his eyes. What are some other examples in the story that stood out to you that categorizes this as a true tragedy (using specific quotes, maybe?)

Eye Imagery in "Oedipus Rex"

After reading "Oedipus Rex," I discovered many references to eyes and blindness. Just as previously discussed in Collin's post about the similarities between eye imagery in "The Bhagavad-Gita" and Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," sight in "Oedipus Rex" symbolizes enlightenment. However, in "Oedipus Rex," it seems as though blindness paradoxically indicates true vision. For example, the blind prophet Tiresias knows the truth about Oedipus; even though he is physically blind, he is enlightened. While the chorus and Jocasta prefer to be blind to the whole truth, Oedipus is persistant in his quest for verity. After Oedipus finds out the truth of his past, he blinds himself, unable to look at those around him because of his shame.

The School of Athens

This image is a close up view of Raphael Sanzio's painting, The School of Athens. It is the image of Plato and Aristotle that Mrs. Quinet was talking about today in class.

Eye Imagery in Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" and the "Bhagavad-Gita"

I find the common element of eye imagery in these two texts is particularly interesting. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Arjuna is able to comprehend the divine through the gift of a third celestial eye. Plato plays on essentially the same idea in his allegory when he compares the understanding of divine knowledge to gazing upon the sun for the very first time. Can anybody else find other interesting similarities between these two texts?