Women, Outsider and Barbarian in The Play Medea by Euripides

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Personal Development, one of the core values at Saint Leo University, plays an important role in students’ daily lives. From the moment you step foot on campus to the day you graduate, you automatically become a different person. As a first year student, you are entering a new life and not knowing what to expect. Once you are in college, it is the start of a new chapter. You will become more mature and all the obstacles that you will go through will make you a different person. In order to have a successful Undergraduate experience, it is crucial to have a balance between personal life and school. Your personal development will strengthen your academics and the community. The Campus Life Handbook states, “Saint Leo University stresses the development of every person’s mind, spirit, and body for a balanced life. All members of the Saint Leo University community must demonstrate their commitment to personal development to help strengthen the character of our community” (Saint Leo 1). Based on the Saint Leo core values, personal development, responsible stewardship, integrity, respect, and community exemplifies Medea’s character as a Hero devolving throughout the play. Many students who have taken general English at Saint Leo University have been taught that personal development is a change that greatly influences the transformation of character. In Medea by Euripides, the protagonist Medea was considered as an outsider in three crucial ways: she was viewed “as a woman in a male-dominated world; as a foreigner or “barbarian” in a Greek city; and as a smart person surrounded by fools,” (Euripides 527). At the beginning of the play, the reader takes Medea’s side. She is in the wrong relationship with Jason, the play’s villain; she e... ... middle of paper ... ...portant than anything and she did not let anyone or anything stop her from her main goal. This plays themes were based on love, passion, rage and vengeance. Vogler, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. 2007. Print. Using Vogler’s text, Medea was characterized as a hero fitting the trickster archetype. Medea’s transformation was explained and tracked down using the language of the Hero’s journey. Saint Leo University. “The Core Values.” Campus Life Handbook. 2011-12. Lafayette, IN: School Datebooks, 2010. 136. Print. This is a handbook written for all undergraduate and graduate students who attend Saint Leo University. It states the universities mission and values. It clearly defines all the core values the school goes by. In this research the core values were used to explain how they exemplify Medea’s devolution of her character.

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