Wild Revenge in Medea

Revenge is a kind of wild justice. Throughout many texts, the notion of justice has been debated on whether it is an act that vindicates those who have been wronged or an excuse to pursue revenge. Through Medea, Medea’s actions have been judged and criticised whether her murders are an act of justice that she deserves or simply the idea of inflicting pain on those she loathes.
Revenge is the predominant motivator for the psychological and corporeal action of the play. In the play, Medea is self absorbed into her misery, her determination of inflicting pain and suffering to Jason consumes her entire rationality and revenge is her only focus point in the play. She effectively draws the Chorus in, “to work revenge on Jason for his wrongs to me, say nothing.” Their complicity with Medea effectively proposes her to accomplish her revenge as she knows she has manipulated them. Medea continuously referring to revenge “I shall see my enemies punished as they deserve” which emphasises her firm intentions of achieving her revenge. This undoubtedly allows the audience to question the act of her revenge.
It seemed in the beginning that Medea’s revenge could have been related to however, when she murders her children, the traditional role of motherhood instantly falls away. The chorus, having lost their sympathy question her morality, “why must this rage devour your heart, to spend itself in slaughter of children?”Her moral ambition is unstoppable and her barbaric nature destroys all her relationships. It is evident in Medea that her objective is to torment Jason through the murder of her children yet this type of revenge cannot be concluded as justice. However wrong Jason has offended her, the murder of her children cannot be forgiven. She refuses to be wavered by the Chorus to not murder her children as she is fully aware of the mental damage this act will distress Jason. Her pride and views of humiliation do not leave her even til the minute she kills her off springs.