Summary:
True Greek tragedies have a plotline in which the tragic hero must face harsh sufferings because of his arête, leading to the complete destruction of the protagonist. A strong sense of the power of the gods must also be present in a tragedy, along with the concept that although men are free to make their own decisions, the gods ultimately guide their fate. When the famous Greek writer Euripides set about writing his own tragedy, he did not conform completely to the typical tragic outline.
In classic Greek culture, there was no greater experience as a human than to attend a tragic play, sharing in the universal sufferings of mankind with the audience, having that moment of catharsis when they ceased to suffer individual loneliness by experiencing common emotions with each other and the drama. That instant, when the play lifts the viewer beyond plot and purifies the soul through bitter anguish and sympathy for the character who has lost all. True Greek tragedies have a plotline in which the tragic hero must face harsh sufferings because of his arête, leading to the complete destruction of the protagonist. A strong sense of the power of the gods must also be present in a tragedy, along with the concept that although men are free to make their own decisions, the gods ultimately guide their fate. When the famous Greek writer Euripides set about writing his own tragedy, he did not conform completely to the typical tragic outline. In his play, Jason of the Argonauts betrays his wife Medea and marries a young princess. Medea, a likable character, vows to take revenge on him by killing both the new bride and her sons, then fleeing to another island. Although it does not completely fit the tragic mold, Medea is still a very powerful tragedy as it contains the fundamental characteristics of its genre; a tragic hero whose downfall is imminent, dramatic irony between the audience and the character, and the inclusion of many social and cultural values dispersed throughout the play.
The major element which makes Medea a powerful tragedy is the presence of a strong tragic hero who has many admirable qualities but is ruined by a tragic flaw. In the beginning of the play, Medea immediately evokes sympathy from the audience. Her nurse soliloquizes that Jason, Medea's husband, has forsaken her for a younger princess. This introduction instantly draws the audience to Medea's side. Everyone has loved someone, and knows the hurt of rejection or betrayal. Thus here stands Medea, a "hapless wife, thus scorned, [appealing] to the oaths her swore..." (291). She has done nothing apparently wrong, and yet she is now left in a foreign country with two young children and no husband to provide for her. Lamenting loudly she attracts many townspeople, as well as the audience, to her side: "Ah me! a wretched suffering woman I! O would that I could die" (294)! This strong sympathy increases when a few more facts become known about Medea herself. She left her native land to be Jason's bride, killing numerous men, including her own brother, for the sake of Jason's success. She is also ordered to leave the land immediately. Having no allies in foreign lands, banishment becomes a terrible price to pay for Jason's infidelity. This series of events causes Medea's tragic flaw to emerge. Instead of reacting calmly and rationally, she is quick to anger and begins plotting against her new found foe. Her rashness appears in her initial curses against her family; "O to see [Jason] and his bride some day brought to utter destruction, they and their house with them..." (296). Such a cry shows malice, yet she still evokes sympathy from the women of the town. They agree that "of all things that have life and sense we women are the most hapless creatures..." (298) and that their husbands owe them much. Medea's situation strikes a common ground with many, so it becomes easier to rationalize her actions later in the play. Even as she plots to kill her own children, she is seen as a tragic heroine. However, it is difficult to overlook her startling behavior. She connives Creon into giving her an extra day before she is banished, using the excuse of devising "some plan for the manner of [her] exile, and means of living for [her] children..." (302) when she actually uses this time to carry out her murders. Carefully she broods over the best way for her victims to suffer: "Shall I set fire to the bridal mansion, or plunge the whetted sword through their hearts.... [or use] poison to destroy them" (303). Settling on the last option, an indignant Medea soliloquizes "bitter and sad will [she] make their marriage for them; bitter shall be the wooing of it, bitter my exile from the land" (304). To fully avenge Jason's wrongdoing and her ostracism, she cuts Jason as deeply as he cut her. As well as Glauce, she chooses to also kill her own children, a deed so horrendous it makes her tragic flaw very clear. She thinks only of her goal of revenge on Jason, not of the consequences it may bring. The chorus asks her "O lady, wilt thou steel thyself to slay thy children twain"" (318) to which she replies "I will, for that will stab my husband to the heart" (318). This might indeed be true; however, she will "be the saddest wife alive" (318). Nevertheless, she executes her plan, not caring that her own downfall is imminent. After killing the princess with poisoned crown and cape, and inadvertently taking the life of Creon as well, she moves in on her children. At the end of the play, Medea is left with very little. In traditional Greek tragedy, the tragic hero's flaw leads to a greater understanding and experience through suffering. The protagonist is also left in a deathlike state. Medea, it seems, never truly learns her lesson, as she escapes death on a golden chariot that carries her away with Aegeus. However, she clearly has a tragic flaw, and loses many of the things she once loved; her home, her husband, and her children.
Dramatic irony plays a major role in distinguishing Medea as a powerful tragedy, especially in Jason's instance. Medea's cunning and trickery can be seen in her exchanges with Jason, in which she pretends to empathize with him, but in actuality she is planning his downfall. After yelling at him in the beginning of the play, she later appeals to him, claiming she has "reasoned with [her] soul and rallied upon [her] thus...saw how foolish [she] had been, how senselessly enraged... [she yields] and [does] confess that [she] was wrong then..." (320). However, she cleverly masks her true emotions. She is still indeed senselessly enraged, so much so that she cannot see the shortcomings of her plan. She fools Jason into believing her children are safe in her hands, and at the same time, she is plotting to kill them. Some dramatic irony exists too in Medea's thinking. The audience knows she cannot kill her sons without some sorrow, yet in her moment of rage she cannot see past her immediate goal of avenging Jason's wrongdoings.
Dispersed throughout the play is a myriad of Greek cultural values. The most effective way to destroy a man's life is to sever his family line. By killing his wife and his children, Medea prevents any possibility of the continuation of his genes. The gods are very prominent in the play as well, displaying Greek culture. Early in Medea, the title character cries out to "Great Themis, and husband of Themis, behold what [she is] suffering now..." (296). The strophe and antistrophe, two important aspects of tragedies, discuss Medea's actions as well as the role of the gods in her life. Throughout the play, it appears as she is assisted by some higher power, saving her from punishment, exile, and death. At the end of the play, she is whisked away by grandfather, who is the Sun God. Also in this parting scene Jason cries out to the gods that on him they have "hurled the curse that dogged [Medea's] steps..." (334) and compares her to Scylla. It becomes apparent that although both Medea and Jason greatly influence their own fates, the gods are ultimately in control of their destinies.
The play Medea may not completely fit the classic tragedy form, most noticeably in the fact that she never truly achieves a greater understanding because of her suffering and is not left completely without help or hope. However, it is impossible to ignore the basic tragic plotline with a strong tragic persona who's flaw causes her downfall. The audience learns much from the play, and in the end walks away with a deeper appreciation for the insistent nature of the human spirit.
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