Archetypes In Medea

Originally performed in the festival of Dionysia in 431 BC, Euripides' tragedy Medea may have been controversial to the predominantly male audience of the time. Subverting Athenian cultural norms of the era by presenting a female perspective, Medea exposes not only the flaws in individuals but also within society. In this play there is an imbalance of passion and logic, which has dire consequences for an individual and an even “greater ruin” for humanity and society at large. Medea is characterised as the impassioned protagonist representing the emotional pillar of Athenian society. Euripides emphasises that the majority of the male audience not only need to aware of the dangers of excessive passion and emotion as one leads to cold logic that's …show more content…
Through, various aspects in Medea lead to bad judgement and self-destruction, with the common being ones hamartia of hubris as a very powerful motivator. However through the contrasting archetypes, Euripides plays with the audiences commiseration and loyalty to their country as a means of augmenting the importance of moderation and humility as main ideology for a civilised and democratic polis.

Undoubtedly, Euripides highlights how it is often one’s excess in passion and reason that disrupts the peace and balance in society. Medea is a representative of the unruly forces that threaten to undermine and overthrow the civilised state and functioning city. It is Medea, the 'unfeeling monster', 'sorceress, and 'unhappy Colchian' acting on logic makes someone a evil monster, who feels excessive emotion towards committing an "unhearted-of-act" of infanticide. Her love for her children makes Medea hesitate and an uncertainty of committing such a crime, but ultimately it is her love that undertakes her murderous intentions. Medea initially does not want to undertake such an action against her children, because of the pain of child birth, but wants her children "to die along with [their] …show more content…
To avoid the dangers of 'excess' (logos, pathos and pride) Athenian society needs to return to sophrosyne. It is the lower class of the Athenian society, Nurse, Chorus and Messenger that remind these messages to the audience. Jason believes, Medea may never attempt to "fire at [him] from [the] golden bow, with unerring [she has ] poisoned with desire". She has switched from one extreme to the other, has used her pathos anger and justified it with logic of revenge, which challenges the audience to have balance of logos and pathos for peace and to not with lead to hubris. Also when the death of the princess reaches word, the lower class of Athenian society and the royal family fear it is Medea. With the fear in the eyes of the messenger "not one of [them] was brave enough to lay hand on her, her fate was a lesson [they] had all learned". This emphasises that the messenger does not have hubris and can see why he shouldn't defy the gods, challenging the audience, that defying the gods can lead to extreme hubris which can be