Medea's relentless pursuit of vengeance is legendary. She is driven by a passionate desire to right the wrongs done to her and sacrifices even her own children in the pursuit of satisfaction. Medea shows audiences the horror that can come when a person lets desire for revenge rule her life. Euripides's play helped pave the way for many later revenge tragedies, from the numerous Spanish revenge dramas to Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Questions About Revenge
- Why does Medea think it's necessary to kill her sons to get revenge on Jason?
- How do you interpret the fact that Medea suffers no consequences for her revenge?
- What steps must Medea take in order to achieve her revenge?
- What's the difference between revenge and justice?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Medea is a cautionary tale on the horrors that revenge can cause.
Medea's lust for revenge makes her an unsympathetic character.