Kevin Slattery
Dr. Hourigan
Freshman Honors Colloquium
October 6th, 2003
Medea: The Oriental Witch
For centuries, people have read Euripides play "Medea" and pondered the question, "Does Euripides want to portray Medea as a witch or as a woman?" When the play was first written, powerful women were perceived to be dangerous or commonly thought of as witches. No women were aloud to explore knowledge or to live as a free woman in today's world. Bound by their jobs, women tended to the home and cared for the children. Before watching the play, audience members knew Medea as a powerful woman, knew she practiced witchcraft, and knew her evil past. Medea represents a great example of a witch, possessing the qualities of powerfulness, strong eloquence with words, and knowledge of witchcraft. Euripides play greatly portrays Medea as an evil witch.
Medea is perceived as an evil witch for atleast three main reasons. Firstly, the way Medea betrayed her own country and helped Jason succeed. Medea, the daughter of King Aeetes in the mystical land of Colchis, met Jason, her future husband, while he was on a quest for The Golden Fleece. King Pelias of Iolcus sent Jason to capture The Golden Fleece in Colchis and return it Iolcus. To complete the task, Jason must first rope the two fire breathing bulls of Hephaestus and with them plow the Field of Ares. Next, he must sow the soil with the teeth of the monster serpent slain by Cadmus. Finally, he must capture The Golden Fleece from the dragon that guards it. Knowing the completion of this task will be difficult, Medea defied her father and agreed to help him in exchange for Jason vowing to take her to Greece and marry her. Medea previously held the position of High Priestess to the god Hecate and knew quite well all aspects of magical arts. By using lotions to protect him from the fiery bulls and magical charms to lull the dragon to sleep that guarded the fleece, Medea successfully helped complete his quest. In allowing him to capture the Golden Fleece, Medea committed treason and knew she enraged her father. The two quickly boarded Jason's ship, the Argo, and headed for Greece. Along with Medea and Jason, Medea's brother accompanied them on the journey. Knowing her father would chase them by ship, which he did, and that he would kill both of them, Medea decided to kill her brother so Jason and her could escape freely. The crew watched in terror as she took out a sword and swiftly cut him into pieces, tossing them over the side of the Argo into the water below. Medea's plan worked, her father stopped to retrieve the pieces from the waves to give her brother a proper burial. The two escaped safely and made it to Greece. Soon after their arrival, Jason and Medea quickly married in a cave on the Island of Drepane. Upon reaching the shore, Jason soon learned that Pelias murdered his mother and father. Filled with rage, Jason wanted to take the city by force that very moment, but Medea rescued him again. She instructed Jason to conceal the ship and wait for her signal, the waving of a torch from the palace window. Medea transformed herself into an old woman and along with her handmaidens and a statue of Artemis preceded to the city gates. Medea told the guards that the goddess bestowed good fortune on Iolcus and used them as her messengers. Being fearful of insulting Artemis, they allowed their entrance into the streets of the city. She made her way into the palace. Pelias awoke, terrified to find her in his room. Pelias asked what Artemis wanted and in her crone voice she answered, "A reward for his piety." Casting away her disguise, she turned young again before his sleepy eyes. Medea took an old ram and cut him into thirteen pieces, which she placed in a caldron to boil. After uttering some magical words, she reached into the pot and pulled out a young lamb. Convinced of her power and eager to regain his youth, Pelias cooperated with Medea. She bade him to lie down and with some magic words charmed him to sleep. She instructed his daughters to chop their father into pieces and place the pieces into the caldron. The girls stood back anxiously awaiting Pelias to emerge from the pot as a young man; the girls, however, killed their own father. Medea signaled and Jason took the city with no resistance. Jason chose not to become the King of the city, but rather return to Corinth. No caring woman betrays her country in such a way and kills her own brother, just to escape her father. The plan to kill King Pelias further shows her powers as a witch. No part of the common knowledge of an Athenian woman contains potions, lotions, magical spells and charms, only a knowledgeable evil witch. These reasons justify Medea as a witch.
Dr. Hourigan
Freshman Honors Colloquium
October 6th, 2003
Medea: The Oriental Witch
For centuries, people have read Euripides play "Medea" and pondered the question, "Does Euripides want to portray Medea as a witch or as a woman?" When the play was first written, powerful women were perceived to be dangerous or commonly thought of as witches. No women were aloud to explore knowledge or to live as a free woman in today's world. Bound by their jobs, women tended to the home and cared for the children. Before watching the play, audience members knew Medea as a powerful woman, knew she practiced witchcraft, and knew her evil past. Medea represents a great example of a witch, possessing the qualities of powerfulness, strong eloquence with words, and knowledge of witchcraft. Euripides play greatly portrays Medea as an evil witch.
Medea is perceived as an evil witch for atleast three main reasons. Firstly, the way Medea betrayed her own country and helped Jason succeed. Medea, the daughter of King Aeetes in the mystical land of Colchis, met Jason, her future husband, while he was on a quest for The Golden Fleece. King Pelias of Iolcus sent Jason to capture The Golden Fleece in Colchis and return it Iolcus. To complete the task, Jason must first rope the two fire breathing bulls of Hephaestus and with them plow the Field of Ares. Next, he must sow the soil with the teeth of the monster serpent slain by Cadmus. Finally, he must capture The Golden Fleece from the dragon that guards it. Knowing the completion of this task will be difficult, Medea defied her father and agreed to help him in exchange for Jason vowing to take her to Greece and marry her. Medea previously held the position of High Priestess to the god Hecate and knew quite well all aspects of magical arts. By using lotions to protect him from the fiery bulls and magical charms to lull the dragon to sleep that guarded the fleece, Medea successfully helped complete his quest. In allowing him to capture the Golden Fleece, Medea committed treason and knew she enraged her father. The two quickly boarded Jason's ship, the Argo, and headed for Greece. Along with Medea and Jason, Medea's brother accompanied them on the journey. Knowing her father would chase them by ship, which he did, and that he would kill both of them, Medea decided to kill her brother so Jason and her could escape freely. The crew watched in terror as she took out a sword and swiftly cut him into pieces, tossing them over the side of the Argo into the water below. Medea's plan worked, her father stopped to retrieve the pieces from the waves to give her brother a proper burial. The two escaped safely and made it to Greece. Soon after their arrival, Jason and Medea quickly married in a cave on the Island of Drepane. Upon reaching the shore, Jason soon learned that Pelias murdered his mother and father. Filled with rage, Jason wanted to take the city by force that very moment, but Medea rescued him again. She instructed Jason to conceal the ship and wait for her signal, the waving of a torch from the palace window. Medea transformed herself into an old woman and along with her handmaidens and a statue of Artemis preceded to the city gates. Medea told the guards that the goddess bestowed good fortune on Iolcus and used them as her messengers. Being fearful of insulting Artemis, they allowed their entrance into the streets of the city. She made her way into the palace. Pelias awoke, terrified to find her in his room. Pelias asked what Artemis wanted and in her crone voice she answered, "A reward for his piety." Casting away her disguise, she turned young again before his sleepy eyes. Medea took an old ram and cut him into thirteen pieces, which she placed in a caldron to boil. After uttering some magical words, she reached into the pot and pulled out a young lamb. Convinced of her power and eager to regain his youth, Pelias cooperated with Medea. She bade him to lie down and with some magic words charmed him to sleep. She instructed his daughters to chop their father into pieces and place the pieces into the caldron. The girls stood back anxiously awaiting Pelias to emerge from the pot as a young man; the girls, however, killed their own father. Medea signaled and Jason took the city with no resistance. Jason chose not to become the King of the city, but rather return to Corinth. No caring woman betrays her country in such a way and kills her own brother, just to escape her father. The plan to kill King Pelias further shows her powers as a witch. No part of the common knowledge of an Athenian woman contains potions, lotions, magical spells and charms, only a knowledgeable evil witch. These reasons justify Medea as a witch.
