Medusa Impact On Human Behavior

Improved Essays
When most people think of Medusa, they generally think of a monster with snake hair that turns people to stone. Medusa is more than a monster, she has a great impact on everyday lives of people. Even though some people don't mind Medusa, she affects behavior in negative ways. Many people are afraid of Medusa and want her killed. Since Medusa was not well liked, she was impacted by society as well.
Medusa was once a young, beautiful girl. As a consequence for having relations with Poseidon in Athena’s temple, she was cursed (Nardo). As part of the curse, Medusa was changed, having a frightful physical appearance. Her head contained many snakes in place of hair, and her face looked as if she was a very old woman. If Medusa was looked in the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Hygieia Greek Goddess

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hygieia, is designed with a marble exterior, making the statue seem as it is of Greek origin however this statue has an origin dating back to Roman times, during 200-250 A.D. Hygieia is the daughter of Asklepios, the god of medicine; a personification of good health, she was typically portrayed feeding a coiled snake, a reference to the serpent-entwined rod wielded by her father that later came to symbolize the healing arts. Her cultural image often merged with other deities, such as Aphrodite the goddess of love. One of the many merged qualities that Hygieia shares is her knotted bow hairstyle. At Hygieia’s side, the sleeping figure of Eros alludes to the healing ritual of sleeping in the sanctuary of Asklepios. Her precise identity is uncertain because the figure displays elements connected with more than one deity.…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Genghis Khan Dbq

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In 1162, Temujin was born in the Mongolian Steppes. Before the unification of the Mongols under Genghis Khan’s rule in 1221, the Mongol people travelled together in kinship groups, only joining forces when they needed to attack a common enemy. It wasn’t until 1200 when Temujin decided to unify all Mongol clans under his rule. Once he defeated all his rivals, he took the title of Genghis Khan in 1206. He soon would be the founder of the Mongol Empire, becoming the ruler of one the largest empires in history.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Medea Play Analysis

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Play Review For my play review I chose Medea, originally written by Euripides and redone by director Robert Whitehead in 1982. The play Medea is about a wife betrayed by her unfaithful husband, Jason who marries Clauce, the King of Corinths daughter. Medea and her two sons are then exiled by Creon the King of Corinth in fear that she may cast some spell or evil doing upon his land and daughter. Medea’s heart has already turned cold by the loss of her husband to another woman and the loss of her own home.…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Medea Patriarchy Essay

    • 425 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Supervised Writing- MEDEA Prompt 1: How is the Chorus the vehicle of social comment and cultural values? → Medea is a mythical ancient Greek tragedy about a sorceress Medea and her revengeful and jealous intentions against her husband Jason as she thinks Jason has betrayed her by marrying the princess of Corinth. It’s a heavy play in terms of broken vows and treachery, leading to a powerful peripetia in the play. There is an ongoing conflict throughout the play on many levels- be it oikos or patriarchy (the role of women was subdued in ancient Greece). The portrayal of the character of Medea has become an archetype- from murdering the princess to committing infanticide; Medea has the pivotal role in the play that attracts many audiences.…

    • 425 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Greek Conceptions of Gender Gender inequality has been the major topic of discussion for many cultures right the way through history. Throughout Greek mythology, women are portrayed pessimistic and troublesome symbols, while men are known for being strong and controlling. Greek mythology has always been thought of as a patriarchal society and there are many reason as to why. Talking about Greek Goddesses we always think of a typical woman who is correlated with women’s roles, for example being a loyal wife, kind and caring towards her children and husband and be the idea women.…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    If there is no heir, the kingdom will be torn apart in a civil war after her father’s death. However, she does not care how many people die, as long as she gets what she wants. In Perseus, Perseus is eager to become a hero and volunteers to kill Medusa. Medusa has not committed any sin against him or his family but he murders her anyways, “striking off the monster head as a boy whips off the head of a dandelion in the field” (127). Perseus kills this supposed monster because of rumors, which were probably propaganda from Poseidon.…

    • 1306 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In this essay I will be looking at the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson in January 1886. In this novella a well-respected Dr Jekyll struggles with his dual nature and the undesirable reputation of his pleasures in an upper-class Victorian society. I will explore the ways that the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, presents different types of power and its effect over man. I will compare this text to themes of power in poems such as Medusa, My Last Duchess and Hitcher. The first poem Medusa by Carol Ann Duffy shows the cause an outburst of range as anger has power over any sense of morality that that person may have.…

    • 1163 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Medea seeks revenge to justify how her husband Jason has mocked her. To validate her revenge she seeks help through her partner goddess Hecate, patron of witchcraft. She appears to be a helpless woman, in order to gain her assistance in evil craftiness to avenge her honor and answer her prayers. Her worldview of the…

    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Inside were scenes that showed Athena's birth, contests, and Panathenaia festival. There was even a statue of Athena made out of gold and ivory.(Baker) A mystery to many, that isn't the first story popping up when you type in the goddesses name is the story about how Athena turned the once beautiful Medusa into the horrifying gorgon. Medusa who is most commonly known as the evil forgo with serpents for hair and terrifying…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Research Paper On Medusa

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the myth, “Medusa and Athena,” there lived a beautiful maiden named Medusa. Medusa was very proud of her beauty and spoke of little else. One day, she was turned into a monster by Athena, the goddess of wisdom, because Medusa called herself prettier. Between Medusa and Athena, there was always a conflict. It all started when Athena noticed that Medusa was self-absorbed in her beauty and vain.…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Buddhist Monk Matthieu Ricard said once, “Negative emotions like hatred destroy our peace of mind.” This prophetic idea survives in the story of Medea; as her state of emotional wellbeing worsens, as does her clarity of purpose and ability to think and act…

    • 1130 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Darkness within a Person The author of the ancient Greek tragedy Medea is called Euripides. This author is considered “one of the most gifted Athenian playwrights of the fifth century BCE… was also well known for his poetry and only 19 plays of work have survived until today” (Emmons and Tschen). Euripides was such an influential writer during his time because of his approach on Literature was different amongst other playwrights. His plays conveyed a “darker side of existence, with plot elements of suffering, revenge and insanity” (Biography Editors).…

    • 870 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Medea and the patriarchy In Ancient Greece, most of the literature and writing were composed by elite, wealthy, and well-educated men. The play Medea, written by Euripides is no different than most of the plays of the time except for its subject matter. Medea is about Medea, a strong mother from a foreign land, who is cheated by her husband Jason. What is different about this play is that Medea does not act as a woman should according to the traditional customs of the time. Instead, Medea tries to break down the walls of injustice and point out the patriarchal society present, and the consequential oppression of women.…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I interpret every hesitation she has to kill her children as the last of her humanity trying to appeal to her human nature so that she might choose love over hate and let her children live. Medea’s stream of consciousness is like a commentary of an actual fight between love and hate. She sees the innocence of the children when she looks into their eyes and feels compassion for them. Love throws the first punch. Thinking of Jason, she cannot let her enemies go unpunished.…

    • 1187 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    She clearly feels that she deserved far better from Jason. The play suggests that Medea believes that Jason would not have been successful without her. She, therefore, believes that she must, seek revenge to uphold her pride. She states, “Let no one think me a weak one, feeble-spirited, A stay-at-home, but rather just the opposite, One who can hurt my enemies and help my friends; For the lives of such persons are most remembered,” This demonstrates that Medea believes she must act, in order to uphold her pride. Again, Medea says, “You are a born woman: feeble when it comes to the sublime, marvelously inventive…

    • 1601 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays