Sacrifice's Medea As A Tragic Hero

In many novels and plays, the tragic figures function as an instrument of the suffering of others and in turn is what causes the play as a whole to become a tragedy. The play Medea is no different. To prevent the tragic figure, Medea, a witch, from cursing the city of Greece and her sons are about to be exiled because her husband, Jason, has found a younger and more powerful woman, the daughter of King Creon. Like most women, Medea panics and is out to seek revenge on those who want to banish her, thus making the play a full blown tragedy.

Medea, furious with the fate the city of Greece has brought upon her, isn’t about to go down without a fight. Medea begins her revenge by sending the daughter of Creon a gown and diadem knowing that she won’t be able to take them along into banishment. She accepts them with gratitude, but little does she know they’ve both been soaked in poison to kill her. Creon also dies by touching the treasures, trying to save his beloved daughter. This causes great suffering to Jason because his chance for royalty is now gone. The murder of Creon and his daughter is a large contribution to the play being a tragedy as a whole, but Medea has a few more tricks up her sleeve. …show more content…
Medea changes her mind several times before finally deciding that killing the children will be one of the last ways to make Jason suffer. She proceeds with this horrendous action knowing that if she doesn't kill them that they will in turn be killed in revenge for the murder of the king and princess. Another reason for this action is to prevent Jason’s name from living on through the children. This makes the play as a whole a tragedy because not only is Medea suffering , but Jason is as well knowing that he has lost everyone dear to