Carol Ann Duffy’s enraged Medusa and Sylvia Plath’s abusive The Jailer involve women in damaged relationships both physically and emotionally. Duffy’s persona is an unhappy wife who is jealous of her husband’s mistress and this jealousy transforms her metaphorically and physically into the mythical creature, Medusa. This persona is used to victimise this women, Duffy uses this persona to evoke empathy for the character to show she is clearly distressed and suffering. Compared to Plath’s persona who is a women in a dysfunctional relationship which has affected her both physically and emotionally. Similar to Duffy, Plath uses this persona to victimise the women in the relationship to show that she feels like she is imprisoned and has no power.
