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Essay on the female characters in Medea
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Hubris is excessive pride it was what leads to Medea’s downfall and demise. Medea kills her children due to her excessive pride and unwillingness for another to take her role as shown when Medea says, “I will kill my sons. No one shall take my children away from me. When I have made Jason’s house a whole shamble, I will leave Corinth a murderess, flying from my darling children’s blood.” (Medea, 41). This hubris causes her to shed the blood of her children and ruin let her children’s potential go to waste. She also allows her hubris to get in the way in other occasions like when referring to her enemies on page forty-nine where she says, “What’s is the matter with me? Are my enemies to laugh at me? Am I to let them off scot free?” Medea let
her hubris, jealousy, and anger consume her so as a result she killed her children, so they wouldn’t be in the enemies’ hands.
Another way one can understand hubris is by seeing acts of hubris as transgressions that are punishable by Gods. In which case, Xerxes committed an act that could be seen as a transgression. Once hearing that the king and commander of the Lacedemonians was none other than Leonidas, Xerxes, out of rage, called for the mutilation, and crucifying of King Leonidas. By doing so, Xerxes disrespected a nation’s customs and religion (7.238). Furthermore, the hubris of Xerxes seeped into his subordinate Persians who plundered a temple and set fire to all of Acropolis (8.53-54). The gods typically punish a sign for hubris directly or indirectly and a divine wind punished the Xerxes and his forces obliterating a large portion of his fleet off Sarpeis (7.189-191). In the end Xerxes’ hubris led the Persian empire into destruction because he campaigned to extend the reach of his power and failed to heed to advice just as king
“There is no safety in unlimited hubris” (McGeorge Bundy). The dictionary defines hubris as overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. In The Odyssey, Homer embodies hubris into the characters Odysseus, the Suitors, and the Cyclopes. Odysseus shows hubris when he is battling the Cyclopes, the Cyclopes show hubris when dealing with Odysseus, and the Suitors show it when Odysseus confronts them at his home.
Hubris had a negative effect in The Odyssey due to Odysseus giving away his identity, keeping secrets from his crew, and losing his passion to get home. Just as Hubris caused Odysseus to make numerous poor decisions, hubris inhibits many people today from making wise choices. Hubris makes people have a false perfect image of themselves, which leads to arrogance and a distorted reality. These negative traits that come with hubris usually result in people’s pain and suffering. People need to start living more grateful and humble lives, so that humanity will actually progress and prosper.
The great Saint Augustine once said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels” (Enchiridion of Augustine chap. 27). Hubris “a great or foolish amount of pride or confidence”. This is a very important word in the play and for the characters. It is displayed in the play because it makes it more interesting in so many ways. Many of the conflicts are caused because of hubris. In a way it is good to have pride, but an excessive amount of pride can be harmful. In the play Antigone, Creon is the one that has the most pride.
The chorus sites hubris, the Greek word referring to mortal pride or arrogance, as being the cause of many bad fates. Someone guilty of hubris aspires to be more and do more than what the gods allow, resulting in severe punishment and a tragic destiny. As an example, the chorus recites the story of Ouranus in lines 168-175 of Agamemnon. They tell of his pride and arrogance, and how both ultimately led to his fall. They continue to list two of his successors who suffered the same fate. Hubris is also discussed in lines 461-470, explaining that, "The gods are not blind to men who... unjustly prosper." The chorus views this arrogance as a terrible offense to the gods, and warns all those who dare set themselves beyond Justice to limit their belongings to what they need and what the gods allot them. They offer this warning so that all people might "avoid this suffering," (Agamemnon, lines 370-381).
Hubris is defined as excessive, personal pride. As Oedipus is about to learn the devastating truth of his origin and destiny, the chorus observes “Audacity sires the tyrant…” Creon accuses Oedipus of being irrational, and for allowing his pride to lead him into a journey that will affect his life forever. The greeks held reason to be the greatest gift of man, therefore a tyrant’s actions should be governed by reason. Hubris was not the essential cause of Oedipus downfall because of Oedipus’ prophecy, and Religious Incest. Hubris was not the essential cause of Oedipus downfall because of Oedipus’ prophecy.
Medea is a tragedy written by acclaimed Greek playwright Euripides.fortunately, had the opportunity to view last night's performance. Euripides cleverly uncovers the reality of Ancient Greek society, shining a light on the treatment of women and the emotions and thoughts that provoked during their time in society. As they were voiceless, Euripides acted as a voice. The scene is set during a male- dominated society, Medea the protagonist challenges the views and chooses to ignore the normality of civilisation. Treated as an outsider her passion for revenge conquers the motherly instincts she possesses, provoking a deep hatred and sparking revenge towards her once loved family.
In Medea, a woman betrays her homeland because of her love for a man. Jason is the husband that she ferociously loves and makes sacrifices for. They have two children together: Antigone and Ismeme. In Jason's quest for the golden fleece, Medea assists him in multiple ways. One of the things she does to help their cause is bring about the death of her own brother. Certainly this is a woman who would sacrifice anything for her husband. Weigel records the fierceness of Medea's passion in his critique: "As a woman of passion, Medea is wholly committed to Jason as the object of her emotional life, whether in love or hate. When she loved Jason she did not hesitate to kill her brothe...
Hu•bris /ˈ(h)yo͞obris/ noun: excessive pride or self-confidence. Hubris is believed to be the most serious of all seven deadly sins. Some say it was the original sin that led to all others. A word with such loathsome synonyms like arrogance, conceit, haughtiness, pomposity, and egotism was seen as one of the worst possible sins in Greek culture. They believed that no matter your social status those who exhibited it were destined to fall down into damnation. Yet some Grecian heroes seemed to ooze hubris in the form of confidence or cockiness. There was a fine line between the two that they should never cross. One hero in particular showed this sin on more than one account. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus, shows the sinful trait of hubris, in the form of cockiness when he talks to Polythemus, his crewmen, his wife, and his son.
In the classical age, women were expected to be meek and powerless creatures, and when they were not they were usually considered to be hysterical. Medea’s strength is portrayed as her madness as she takes control and decides the fate of her enemies. Medea breaks that rule in the manifestation of the madness that poisons her mind. Medea has left everything to be with Jason, she has even gone as far as forsaking her father and murdering her brother in order to leave with Jason, “Oh, my father! Oh my country! In what dishonor / I left you, killing my own brother for it” (164-65). This perhaps should have been a red flag for Jason in realizing how she killed her own flesh and blood and should have been an indicator for the evil that resided within her. Medea is in Jason’s turf and here she is considered a foreigner, she now defines herself via her marriage to Jason. Ultimately, when she loses him to a younger bride, she also loses her ability to be rational in her thinking. Euripides allows Medea to have a voice, and thus, gives insight into how what is happening affects her psyche.
Medea, granddaughter of the sun god Helias, is originally from Colchis, an island located in the Black Sea, which is where the Greeks consider to be the edge of the earth, a landmark where barbarians live. Medea, a barbarian witch and princess of Colchis, unconsciously fell in love with Jason, a man who had traveled to Colchis to secure the Golden Fleece that Medea’s father, King Aeetes, lord of Colchis, kept safe and under guard. King Aeetes set up multiple traps to protect the Golden Fleece which made it nearly impossible to obtain it. Medea assisted Jason by helping him overcome these obstacles and Medea alone murdered the giant serpent that guarded the Fleece. Medea fell deeply in love with Jason that she would do anything in her power to stay with him and keep him safe. Her viscous and uncontrolled emotions lead Medea into disaster.
Medea was a very diverse character who possesses several characteristics which were unlike the average woman during her time. As a result of these characteristics she was treated differently by members of the society. Media was a different woman for several reasons; she possessed super natural powers , she was manipulative, vindictive, and she was driven by revenge. The life that Medea lived and the situations she encountered, (one could say) were partly responsible for these characteristics and her actions.
Control is key to obtain one’s end goal. Every strategist needs to have some sense of control or management in his/her cleverness to make sure his/her plans are executed in a precise manner. Medea is able to control others with her cleverness, in her surroundings to maneuver her plan. She knows peoples weaknesses and plays on that. For example, in regards to Creon, the king of Corinth, he does not want to become a tyrant. Thus, when he’s kicking Medea out of the city, she convinces him to let her stay one more day there for the sake of her children. Creon accepts her pleads, because he is “no tyrant.” That was Creon’s weakness and Medea decided to pursue it to get what she wants, to kill the princess and to make her husband, Jason, suffer. Medea accomplishes such an action, in a matter of a day. Medea has the trait of cleverness and control, which strategist must endure to be effective.
One example of these elements in Greek tragedy is the play Medea, written by Euripides, which represents the theme of justice and revenge. Medea felt devastated by the Jason’s actions when he marries another woman, which leads her to retaliate by seeking vengeance. This play clearly includes the six elements of a tragedy Aristotle discussed in Poetics although in different order. Characterization was mostly featured in the plays hence, why the element of characters was the prime focus of this play. For example, Medea’s wicked actions came about because of her malevolent personality traits. Euripides writes, “Her heart is so proud, there is no way to stop her, / her soul has been pierced by these sorrows” (Medea 115-116). This line states how
Medea is a tragedy of a woman who feels that her husband has betrayed her with another woman and the jealousy that consumes her. She is the protagonist who arouses sympathy and admiration because of how her desperate situation is. I thought I was going to feel sorry for Medea, but that quickly changed as soon as I saw her true colors. I understand that her emotions were all over the place. First, she was angry, then cold and conniving. The lower she sinks the more terrible revenge she wants to reap on Jason.