Medea Tragic Hero Essay

Medea: Hero with Estrogen A Greek hero is someone descended from divinity with an incredible talent who is favored by the gods. Such heroes that are brought to mind are Heracles with his brute strength, Odysseus with his craftiness, and Jason with his leadership. Often not viewed, however, as a hero is Jason’s scorned wife, Medea. Medea’s backstory involves fratricide and witchcraft for Jason’s love. However, in their return to Corinth, Jason leaves her. This fractured promise allows Euripides to cast Medea as a Greek hero, even if she is a woman. Medea is a classical hero in Euripides’ play, favored by the gods and manipulative in bringing about her desires. Medea, despite her murderous reputation, is favored by the gods. She is descended from Helios, his granddaughter in fact. This divine lineage not only gives her one of the traits of a Greek hero, but also the protection from retribution. She utilizes this ancestry when she escapes, using Helios’ chariot to run from her crimes. She also calls upon Jason’s broken oath, a subject in which the gods have very little sympathy. Medea scolds Jason, “What puzzles me / is whether you believe those gods (the ones / who heard you swear) no longer are in power, / or that the old commandments have been changed?” (p 80 lns
499-502) Medea reminds Jason here that his oath is still valid because the gods still exist and their rules hold true. Thus, he broke his oath to her, a heinous crime in the gods’ eyes. Medea exposes the gods’ favor finally in how she experiences no retribution for her crimes. She escapes without penalty. In being one of the few Greek figures to do so, she proves her hero status in that the gods rarely punish heroes whose crimes serve as divine justice. Considering this, her lineage, and the gods’ hatred of broken oaths, she fulfills two of the three traits of Greek heroes; descended from divinity and favored by the gods. The third trait of Greek heroes is a talent, manifesting itself in manipulation for Medea. She uses this talent to set her revenge in motion, beginning with the chorus. She shares the woes of women in the beginning, explaining how they are seen as weak and homebodies, nothing without their husbands. Thus, she wins the sympathy of the chorus who swear to keep her plans to gain vengeance a secret should they see them. She then wheedles an extra day before her exile from Creon. She uses traditionally feminine actions to achieve this, supplicating herself before him. She falls to her knees and begs him, making herself seem vulnerable and weak, as a woman was viewed in Greek society. She also uses her children as a method to soften Creon’s heart. She pleads, “I need to make arrangements for my exile, / find a safe asylum for my children… Take pity on them. You yourself have children.” (p. 75 lns 350-351, 535) She evokes a parental worry to gain time to find revenge. This worry strikes a chord with Creon and he concedes to let her stay one extra day. In manipulating those around her in order to carry out her devious machinations, she proves that she is a Greek hero by fulfilling the last qualification for one; having a talent that furthers one’s cause. Medea’s lineage, lack of intervention from the gods, and manipulative talent build her into a Greek hero.
Helios’ granddaughter garners the favor of the gods through Jason’s broken oath and escapes without punishment due to that favor. She also utilizes her talent to bring about Jason’s demise and gain revenge for her broken heart. Euripides’ play casts Medea in a traditionally male role, scaring the male Greek audience and causing them to reanalyze what it means to be a hero. Since Medea is female, one does not immediately think her to be a hero. However, in analysis of her character and actions, she does not differ in characteristics of Heracles or Odysseus except in that she has more
estrogen.