Medea Essay, Research Paper

Brandi Childs

Dr. Fitch

Feb. 14 2001

World Literature I

Jason

In Jason?s speech to Medea, he blames the love goddess for his entire problem. He says that Cypris is responsible for everything. He also tells Medea that she has taken more than she has given. He compliments her on her cleverness but he also brings her faults to her attention. ?… I can prove you have certainly got from me more that you gave?(ll.524). He tells her that she came in to a Greek land and adapted as though she was Greek also. The people in the town thought of her as a clever woman and they honored her but Jason is saying in his speech that he knows her better than anyone else. He knows what she is capable of doing and he wants her to believe that the marriage between him and the princess will benefit her and their children. He leads her to believe that the only reason he is marrying her is to have a better life. Jason explains to Medea that he was not unhappy with her or the children but he couldn?t pass up an opportunity to marry the princess. He wants her to understand that he is making a smart move by marrying into royalty. In his speech, Jason often refers to women as being the same. ?But you women have got into such a state of mind that, if your life at night is good, you think you have everything; but, if in that quarter things go wrong, you will consider your best and truest interests most hateful?(ll.556-560). He makes the statement that if ?love? wasn?t involved his marriage to the princess would not be such a problem with Medea.

I believe that Jason is being selfish by marrying another women without even consulting the woman that he is already married to. He brings up more than once that the marriage is the best thing for them and the children, but he doesn?t think about what kind of life his children will lead while they are in exile. He also mentions other children, but he doesn?t even know if he loves the woman that he is going marry. I believe that Medea over reacts about the situation but she does have a right to be depressed about it. Jason is only thinking of himself and he is wrong. I don?t think Medea should take such drastic actions but I would understand where she would be hurt over her husband marrying another woman. Jason tries to make Medea understand why he is marrying the princess and he also tries to make it seem like it is the right thing to do. He closes by saying, ?It would have been better far for men to have got their children in some other way, and women not to have existed. Then life would have been good? (ll.564). If it weren?t for his involvement with women then Jason wouldn?t be in the predicament that he is in

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