Conflicts in Medea

In Medea by Euripides, a desire for revenge and a determination to redress a moral wrong are both used in a way which conflicts with moral duty. It is in this way that Euripides creates a protagonist in which a maniacal, almost evil aura can be seen. The actions of the antagonist, Jason, drive Medea to a truly gruesome act of revenge, thus making this play the tragedy that it is. As the play begins, …

…Everything Jason values has been lost through the deaths that end this tragedy. As Jason suffers his loss, one thought may prevail. Is there a protagonist to this play? In one word: no. However, because of Jason’s actions, perhaps Medea can be seen as less of an antagonist than Jason and therefore is a pseudo-protagonist. The end results are four literal deaths and one figurative one, the latter being that of Jason. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**