The Suffering of the Characters in the Play Medea by Euripides

In Euripides Medea the reader sees multiple ways in which each character suffers, However there were different degrees of suffering for these characters. Some did not experience much pain for example Green and his daughter These two, although rarely seen, both lost their lives at the hand of Medea’s rage fed by Jason’s lust for a new bride. From the readers‘ point of view this may seem like a prime example of ultimate suffering but not in my opinion.

Green and his daughter had very little suffering when compared to other characters like Medea and Jason’s two boys. Their children had to experience their father abandon them for a new household leaving them with their irrational weeping mother, only to later be used as the final act of vengeance against Jasoni However who truly suffered the most in this tragedy?

The main argument would be pro-Jason because Medea was blinded by her rage and in this blinded state she would not let her husband see his children’s bodies and killed his soon to be wife and father»in-law.

However when comparing the wrong and hurt exchanged between Jason and Medea the scale is tipped in Medea’s favor. The condescending tone that he had when speaking to her after she received the news that she was to be exiled reflects the true nature of pure distain coming from Medea and how Jason tries to justify his actions against his wife and children. Jason said, “My motive was the best: so we’d live well and not be poor…l wanted to raise sons in a style that fits my family background, give brothers to the ones I had with you and treat them all as equals.

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This would strengthen the family, and I’d be blessed with fortune” (542-543), From the very beginning she fell head over heels in love with Jason and helped him through all of his adventures while sailing on the Argo. Medea gave up her homeland and brother just for Jason, She then destroyed Pelias’ household after he would not relinquish his throne. Years later Medea gave Jason not one but two sons to carry out his name and bring him glory. By Greek standards Medea was the perfect wife yet Jason desired another bed abandoning his former household without second thought. Soon after his betrayal Creon exiles Medea and her Children in fear of what she might do to his daughter and himself. Creon said, “I have heard reports that you’ve made threats, that you’ve devised a play to harm the bride, her father, and the bridegroom.

I want to guard against that“ (536). However she convinces him to let her stay for one day, within this time she kills not only the soon to be bride and Creon but her own children in her plot of vengeance against Jason. With all of these examples of how Medea suffered it would be hard to believe anyone was caused as much pain as she was. Nevertheless some would argue that since Medea was able to complete her plan of revenge on Jason she should not be considered the victim in this whole situation. On the other hand Medea can be considered the victim that is left worst off all in all. Medea sacrificed her children, the children who would have given Jason glory, to hurt her husband. But while doing so she killed the two human beings whom she gave life to, which I can only imagine as agonizingly painful for a mother.