Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The character of Medea in Medea
The character of Medea in Medea
Medea as revenge tragedy
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The character of Medea in Medea
The far-reaching effects of love are often underestimated. It is a powerful emotion that dictates other extreme emotions, and influences decisions, thoughts and actions. Women are constantly exposed to romantic love, and because of that, women crave love from men. Love causes women to do things they would normally never do. The experiences that come from acts of love also lead to other emotions of passion. This is evident in female literary characters. The women in literary works seek love. But, as they fall in love, other conflicts arise. From these conflicts, other emotions, such as pain, anger, hatred or happiness, emerge and these emotions influence their lives. In Memoirs of a Geisha, written by Arthur Golden, Sayuri’s love for the Chairman affects every aspect of her life. Every decision she makes is based around her undying love. In Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte, Jane is constantly seen making sacrifices for Rochester, the man she loves. Her love for Rochester determined every outcome and resolution in her life. In Medea, written by Euripides, Medea’s obsessive and passionate hatred for Jason evokes a murderous desire for revenge. This terrifying hatred originally sprouted from a radical love. Sayuri, Jane and Medea, from Memoirs of a Geisha, Jane Eyre and Medea, base their decisions on strong emotions, which stem from a deep, romantic love for another person, which cause them to make significant sacrifices.
The strong emotion of love influences decisions that can forever change a woman’s life. In Memoirs of Geisha, Sayuri’s early life was hopeless and blind. After being ripped away from her parents and sister, she was left alone without family or friends to trust or love. She was told that the okiya was her new...
... middle of paper ...
...ynn M. Spampinato. "Medea." Drama for Students 1 (1998):
180-201. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Jan. 2010.
Golden, Arthur. Memoirs of a Geisha. New York: Signet Classics, 2008. Print.
Hamilton, Carole L. "An Overview of Medea." Drama for Students (2009): Gale Virtual
Reference Library. Web. 8 Jan. 2010.
Lonac, Susan. "Jane Eyre." World Literature and its Times: Profiles of Notable Literary
Works and the Historical Events that Influenced them (2001): 213-222. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Jan. 2010.
Moss, Joyce. "Medea." World Literature and its Times: Profiles of Notable Literary
Works and the Historical Events that Influenced them 8 (2006): 219-227. Gale
Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Jan. 2010.
Smith, Jennifer. "Memoirs of a Geisha." Novels for Students 19 (2004): 203-217. Gale
Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Jan. 2010.
From the beginning of fiction, authors have constantly exploited the one topic that is sure to secure an audience: love. From the tragic romance of Tristan and Isolde to the satirical misadventures in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, literature seems obsessed with deciphering the mysteries of affection. The concept most debated is the question of where the line falls between lust and love and what occurs when the two are combined, and few portray it more clearly than Edmund Rostand in his French drama Cyrano de Bergerac. The influence of fickle physical attraction and deep romantic love on each other are explored by the interactions of the four main characters: De Guiche, Christian, Roxane, and Cyrano.
Eupriedes, Medea and Sappho’s writing focus on women to expose the relationships between a variety of themes and the general ideal that women are property. The main characters in both pieces of literature demonstrate similar situations where love and sex result in a serious troll. These themes affected their relationship with themselves and others, as well as, incapability to make decisions which even today in society still affects humans. Headstrong actions made on their conquest for everlasting love connects to sacrifices they made to achieve their goal which ultimately ended in pain. Love and sex interferes with development of human emotions and character throughout the course
The World Book Encyclopedia. 2000 ed. : p. 78. Griswold, Rufus Wilmot. The "Scarlet Letter" The Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors. Ed.
In one of William Shakespeare’s most renowned and celebrated plays, the story of a General named Othello unravels in tragic form as he falls victim to the lies created by Iago. Once revered as a war hero and wed to the beautiful Desdemona, Othello’s life spirals downward with the untimely death of his beloved in his own hands, ultimately ending with his own demise. Love is the force behind this tragedy. Tragedy is the main driving force that brings happiness and tragedy to the characters within the play. But even as such a prominent force, it lacks clear definition. Love has a different meaning to the characters in the play. Characters like Othello, Desdemona, and Iago all have different perspectives on love, which informs their behavior in different ways.
“Medea,” a play by Euripides, depicts the difficulties that befall women and how their suffering from mistreatment, turned her to commit violent and terrible transgressions. Medea’s display of ceaseless demoralized actions lead to the death of nearly her entire family. The text depicts powerless women that live under the rule of their husbands in a male dominated society. Medea rises against societal norms during this time by her strong belief in her own ideas, she rises to power, and begins to challenge the idea of a strong, heroic character.
Renza, Louis A. “Influence.” Critical Terms for Literary Study . 2 nd ed. Ed. Frank Lentricchia and Thomas McLaughlin. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1995. 186-202.
"Inferno." Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Joyce Moss and George Wilson. Vol. 1: Ancient Times to the American and French Revolutions (Prehistory-1790s). Detroit: Gale, 1997. 174-180. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 11 June 2014.
Love is often misconstrued as an overwhelming force that characters have very little control over, but only because it is often mistaken for the sum of infatuation and greed. Love and greed tread a blurred line, with grey areas such as lust. In simplest terms, love is selfless and greed is selfish. From the agglomeration of mythological tales, people deduce that love overpowers characters, even that it drives them mad. However, they would be wrong as they would not have analyzed the instances in depth to discern whether or not the said instance revolves around true love. Alone, true love help characters to act with sound reasoning and logic, as shown by the tales of Zeus with his lovers Io and Europa in Edith Hamilton’s Mythology.
Love is a concept that has puzzled humanity for centuries. This attachment of one human being to another, not seen as intensely in other organisms, is something people just cannot wrap their heads around easily. So, in an effort to understand, people write their thoughts down. Stories of love, theories of love, memories of love; they all help us come closer to better knowing this emotional bond. One writer in particular, Sei Shōnagon, explains two types of lovers in her essay "A Lover’s Departure": the good and the bad.
As shown in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, love can often lead to a life of anguish; even so, the experience is worth the pain. Jane’s adoration for both Mr. Rochester and Helen helped her grow as a person; they gave her hope for a brighter future. When her faith is at its climax, she loses them and is forced to endure the agony of resentment, regret, and solitude. Even so, love is a powerful emotion that can influence anyone given time and devotion and it should be cherished, appreciated and pursued no matter the consequences or the reprecussions.
Staves, Susan. "Sense and Sensibility." Literature and Its Times Supplement 1: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Joyce Moss, ed. Vol. 1: Ancient Times to the Harlem Renaissance (Beginnings-1920s). Detroit: Gale, 2003. Gale Power Search. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
Love has been expressed since the beginning of time; since Adam and Eve. Each culture expresses its love in its own special way. Though out history, though, it’s aspect has always been the same. Love has been a major characteristic of literature also. One of the most famous works in literary history is, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. This story deals with the love of a man and a woman who’s families have been sworn enemies. There love surpassed the hatred in which the families endured for generations. In the end they both ended up killing their selves, for one could not live without the other. This story is a perfect example of true love.
As the famous Greek playwright Euripides once said: “Stronger than lover's love is lover's hate. Incurable, in each, the wounds they make.” Such ideas are portrayed in one of him most famous plays, Medea. This play is a fascinating classic centered on the Greek goddess Medea. Despite its recent fame, during his time, Euripides was unpopular since he used what would be considered a ‘modern’ view where he would focus on women, slaves and persons from the lower classes. In the play, Medea commits filicide, which initially appears extremely horrendous, but as the audience is guided through the play, they develop sympathy towards Medea. In order to achieve this empathy and enhance the understanding of Medea’s pride and ideals, Euripides utilizes the Chorus, the Nurse, and the Children- all are which minor characters. Granted that these characters overall have overlapping roles and guide the audience towards the same concept, at some topics they disagree or contradict each other.
Hemingway synthesizes the theory that because of the pain that is brought about, love is not able to survive. The feeling of love is felt by both Henry and Catherine, but it is hard to realize that when pain always surrounds the couple. Hemingway’s creative mind creates a frustrating love story for the reader – one in which ends in devastation. Love is present but will not last. Human nature is to be attracted to love, but humanity may be destined for pain because of the tragedy brought about by love.
The Feelings of Falling in Love What is Love? Is it an attraction? Is it a snare? Is it a attachment?