Essay Reflection: Medea Essay

Essay Response:
Reflection of Medea

Maria Warner has explained myths are divided into three functions. These functions are fertility, physical power, and sovereignty. In all the works discussed /read/watched in class, the character Medea exemplifies at least one if not all of these characteristics throughout her story.
Medea is a mother, a lover, a ruler, and an independent woman. She bows for no one, and is dignified in her actions. I believe the three sources: Euripides’s Medea, Christa Wolf’s Re-imagined Medea, and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Medea all do justice to providing an in depth personification of Medea’s character. I believe that Christa Wolf’s Medea is especially powerful. By dividing the chapters into each outlook of character, you catch their thoughts, responses, and actions. Here Medea is portrayed as both the role of a loving feminine mother, and a masculine, angry, vengeful sorceress. Throughout the book you see her jump between roles, one minute caring for her children, or sharing passion with Jason, the very next down talking a King, and cursing Jason for his actions. Medea as a mother shows fertility. She constantly cares for her children and Jason with love and respect, even at times of verbal abuse from Jason. Her modern power as a sorceress demonstrates sovereignty, or priest like ambitions. She uses her abilities to help Jason obtain the Golden Fleece, defeat the dragon and army, and convince Jason’s cousins to kill their father, in order for him to obtain the kingdom. Towards the end, after Jason’s betrayal, she kills his new wife as well as her and Jason’s children. This act of murder is to prevent Jason from continuing his thrown, destroying the chance of heir to thrown, and leaving him without a wife to produce. I believe her actions speak for themselves in showing her physical power, or warrior like abilities. Throughout the entire book, even when she is being constantly betrayed, she holds control, and to contradict the thought of...