Courtney Lum

What is interesting about the tragic play of Medea is how the audience is compelled to sympathize with Medea instead of feeling emotions of hate and disgust. Even though she murders her own children, along with the king and the princess, the audience is still not compelled true disgust and dislike towards her character; instead we are lead to commiserate in her sadness, justifying her actions due to the neglect and betrayal of her husband, Jason. And even though we know that murdering her own children is distasteful and truly a terrible sin, we understand that her intentions were only to seek revenge on the husband that scorned her. Jason’s lack of remorse and complete betrayal and Medea’s complete and utter devastation from his actions shows the reader what compels Medea do perform such terrible deeds. Even so, Medea is also aware that her actions are terrible and blameworthy, yet deems it necessary to punish her unfaithful husband in every way that she can.