Throughout history, heroic tales have been the source of both delight and controversy as the respective roles of the major characters have been debated as to their true purpose. While many of these major characters have been men, in many cases there are female characters as well that play important role in their own capacity, as well as contributing to the character development of the protagonist. To determine how these issues play out in a popular heroic tale, this paper provides an examination of the role of Medea in the heroic tale, "Jason and the Golden Fleece," followed by a discussion of how the feminine aspect contributes to the myth. An assessment of how this female character affects the character of Jason is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.

             Review and Discussion.

             The epic tale of Jason and his Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece has been enjoyed by countless readers for thousands of years, and the tragedies and challenges faced by Jason in his quest are truly the stuff of legend - but he is only able to accomplish these feats through the magical intervention of Medea, the daughter of King Aietes. Although popularized as a heroic figure himself, Jason manages to come across as a betrayer and usurper as he struggles to gain the Golden Fleece from King Aietes, all with the assistance of the female characters involved. This pattern of male hero and female sidekick may sound familiar to modern observers, because it is. According to Wood (2005), the intervention of Medea in Jason's life represents "the classic triangle of hero, dark power and female helper . . . to be repeated in stories all the way down to Hollywood. And it seems possible that this theme was based on an even earlier myth" (Part 5:2). In fact, Wood points out that archaeological evidence suggests that this literary pattern is even more ancient still, dating perhaps as much as 3,400 years ago.