The Destruction Of Vengeance In Medea By Euripides

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Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, the play is based upon the mythology of Jason and Medea. The plot is revolved around the actions of Medea, a former princess of the kingdom of Colchis. Medea feels as though she has been betrayed by her husband Jason as he has left her for the princess of Corinth. Medea takes vengeance on Jason by killing Jason's new wife as well as their own children. As a result of Medea and Jason’s relationship Euripides shows the destruction of revenge and how it affects both the victim and the perpetrator; through Jason betraying Medea, Medea’s exile from Corinth and Medea’s plan of vengeance, Euripides makes it obvious that revenge is disastrous for both the victim and the perpetrator.

Jason betraying Medea places Jason in a position of being both the victim and the perpetrator. In the beginning of the play …show more content…
Medea had lost everything for Jason “[she] [has] no city, no friend to show [her] pity when [she] [has] suffered suffering’s worst,” she is willing to sacrifice everything to make her revenge against Jason perfect. Euripides shows audiences that even though she would be considered crazy she if trying to deal with all the awful things that have happened to her, she feels that she has given Jason everything and has received nothing but betrayal in return. Medea massacres her own children, antithetically, to protect them from the counter-revenge of her enemies. Additionally, she also kills them to hurt Jason, in spite of murdering them she is sentencing herself to a life of remorse and grief. Euripides shows through Medea that the idea of perfect revenge is impossible, revenge is destructive for both the victim and the perpetrator. We are able to see this through Medea’s decision to slay her children and how conflicting the situation is for her, she may have gotten her revenge against Jason but she is still emotionally affected by the
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