Medea Argumentative Essay

1. Medea can be said to represent all women of this time who suffers as a result of their inferior status in Greek society. Medea is a representation of the mistreatment of women in Greek society. In the play, she complains of how unfairly women were treated. For instance, she complains “For women, divorce is not respectful; to repel the man, not possible. Still more, a foreign woman, coming among new laws, new customs, needs the skill of magic to find out what her home could not teach her, how to treat the man whose bed she shares. If in this exacting toil we are successful, and our husband does not struggle under the marriage yoke, our life is enviable; otherwise, death is better.” (236-245) During this time period, women were treated unfairly and viewed as a lower class. Medea also proclaims “Of all creatures that can feel and think, we women are the worst treated things alive.” (230-231) The play shows how far a woman’s limits are pushed until she is forced to do the unspeakable. Medea’s actions were a result of how belittled she was as a woman. Jason falls in love with her during the Quest of the Golden
Her excessive pride is what caused her to be so enraged with Jason; she did not want to be humiliated or betrayed by him. Her hubris is enormous that she does not care whose lives she has to take for her revenge. In addition, Jason tries to comfort her as a “friend,” but she is filled with so much hubris and anger that she doesn’t see the kindness that Jason is trying to express, only his betrayal. “I call the gods to witness that I have done my best to help you and the children. You make no response to kindness; friendly overtures you obstinately reject. So much the worse for you,” Jason declared. (619-622) Her unreasonable pride of getting her revenge and her womanhood is what led to her downfall. In the end, she is faced with no land, no help from others except Aegeus, and the blood of her children on her