Medea

A detailed Summary of Medea


The story of Jason and Medea is a classic myth of love and betrayal. Medea, a princess and priestess of Colchis, falls in love with a foreigner, Jason, who has come to steal her country's most sacred religious symbol, a Golden Fleece. Because of her desire for Jason, Medea helps him take the fleece, and in return Jason promises to marry her. As they flee the country, Medea kills her brother and scatters pieces of his corpse behind her, slowing the king down as he and his army chase after her. After they leave Colchis, Jason and Medea go to Iolcus, where Jason was promised the throne by his uncle, King Pelias, if he returned with the Golden Fleece. Pelias breaks his promise, and Jason is refused the throne. Medea goes to see Jason's father, and gives him a potion which restores youth. Pelias' daughters, upon seeing Jason's restored father, ask Medea to give the potion to the king as well. Medea, hoping to help Jason, tricks Pelias' daughters into killing Pelias instead. Jason and Medea are then exiled and flee to Corinth, where Jason, with the excuse of hoping to improve their status, agrees to marry the princess of Corinth. Upon hearing of Jason's betrayal, Medea threatens the lives of both the king and his daughter in her rage. T


It is understandable why Athenians would discourage lust in women, for in Medea it resulted in abandoning her duties and betraying her society. The strict customs in Athens regarding marriage ensured that family lines and Athenian citizenship, both important to the individual family and the state, were preserved. Powered by her desire for Jason, Medea destroyed her ties to her state and family, destroying her religion and killing her own brother.

Love, and especially lust, if present in the relationship, was a mere coincidence. Lust outside of marriage was a serious matter; an unmarried woman caught having sexual relations could be sold into slavery by her guardian, and a married woman accused of rape or adultery could expect to be divorced and publicly ostracized (Pomeroy, 86).



Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1749
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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