Lust for Vengeance Leads to Destruction

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do not die from it. They perish at the

hand of their mother and a blade from her sword. The chorus is horrified as the children yell, “O

help us, in God’s name, for now we need your help, Now, now we are close to it. We are trapped

by the sword” (Euripides 41). Murdering her children on top of murdering the bride to be is the

ultimate blow to Jason, for now he has nothing. Medea’s destruction has not only affected Jason,

but also caused pain for her.

Medea’s destruction has now run its course; taking the life of the princess and her

children. Jason, grieving for his sons cries to her that “you feel the pain yourself. You share in

my sorrow” (Euripides 44). Her response is one that truly reveals the nature of her destructive

vengeance; pride. She looks down at him from the chariot bragging “Yes and my grief is gain

when you cannot mock it” (Euripides 44). At this moment she feels as though she as won. Had

Medea not been so full of pride, she wouldn’t have felt the need to get even with Jason as an act

of retaliation.

Throughout the play Medea is motivated by pride to become vengeful against her

cheating husband. Her lust for this leads to destruction of not only Jason but herself. She killed

everyone who was important to Jason, the princess and his sons, to punish him for the wrong he

had done to her. But this came at a cost as she had to murder her only sons, and unfortunately it

was a gain for her because she was too proud to let her grief be mocked. From this it is learned

that tragic heroes, such as Medea, can suffer and cause suffering, creating the tragic vision of the work.

Works Cited

Warner, Rex. Euripedes: Medea. New York: Dover Thrift Editions, 2014. Print.