Euripides Apollonius Of Rhodes Argonautica - 1628 Words

In Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica, written in the 3rd Century BC, the character Medea’s complexity intrigues, enchants and horrifies us. Her passionate dedication to Jason and, consequently, the failure of their marriage, leads Medea to commit multiple horrific acts. She plans and commits the murders of numerous people, including her own two sons. However, it is not Medea’s free will that leads her to commit these actions. Medea’s decisions are not a consequence of her own cruelty, but of her desperation, since her free will has been stolen by men around her. Medea is an archetype of a woman betrayed, who sacrifices her own power for the goal of another in the name of love, of a marriage gone wrong. Who has not known of an intelligent woman who fell in love, gave up her opportunities to make the success of her husband possible, only to be thrown away for a younger and more beautiful woman? Apollonius immerses Medea in a story of revenge, war and bloodsh ed. At its core though, Medea’s own story is about betrayal and being an outsider. Medea should not be identified as a savage, but as a symbol of what can occur when an unbearably distressed person is oppressed and outcast by their family, husband, and society. The involvement of the gods in the Argonautica shows us how the free will that was once Medea’s is stolen by gods in order to shape the fates of characters. When â€Å"Hera presently broke the silence with the following scheme†¦ in the hope that he can be persuaded toShow MoreRelatedThe Position Of Women In The Ancient World Have Always1295 Words   |  6 Pagesthe dead and anything that deals with nocturnal life. Medea being a priestess of Hecate is mostly seen in Apollonius Rhodes’ poem, Argonautica . The story of Medea in this poem differs slightly from other works. For example, in this version, Medea is not the one responsible for the murder of her brother, but is only an onlooker. Despite the differences from other works on Medea, Apollonius Rhodes gives more information on Medea being a priestess of Hecate. In book 3, Medea was found â€Å"going from chamberRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Odyssey 984 Words   |  4 Pagesfleece, which resulted in Jas on stealing the fleece (Medea used a magical potion to make the unsleeping dragon fall asleep), escaping Colchis and killing Apsyrtus. Sources for Medea include the Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and Euripides’ play Medea. The play Medea by Euripides explains how Jason leaves Medea and marries off another woman through an alliance with the king of Corinth; this caused Medea to persecute Jason, killing his new wife and her own children. This