Medea’s internal conflict in the play provides the audience an opportunity to comprehend Medea’s character. In Medea’s mind, her maternal instinct and her hubris both struggle for dominance as she debates over murdering her own two children. As a mother, she desires to “take and hide [the children] far, far from men’s eyes” (60). The children “will dwell with [her]... and… peace” if she flees with them (60). However, as a woman full of pride, she also yearns to “lay [her] children dead… leaving Jason childless” for her plot of revenge (46). When Medea vocalizes her internal conflict, she incessantly questions both sides: her maternal side asks, “Why should I seek a war so blind: by these babes’ wounds to sting again their father’s heart, and win myself a pain twice deeper?” while her prideful side asks, “Would I be a thing mocked at, and leave mine enemies to sting unsmitten?” (60). Medea is compelled to prioritize one part of her personality over the other.
As a result, Medea’s hubris seemingly claims victory after Medea spouts the pros and cons of each side. Yet, when Medea states her farewell to her children, her resolve wavers, and she professes to be “broken by the wings of evil” (61). The audience truly perceives Medea’s conscience for the first time─Medea is not an utter sociopath. Without the Chorus’s prior condemnation towards Medea’s repulsive scheme, the audience would have never discovered the angel on Medea’s shoulder. By censuring her, “O woman wild! One at least thou canst not slay, not thy child!” Medea reevaluates her plan, and her righteousness shines through briefly (49). Even if Medea’s hubris wins the war, her maternal instinct wins the first battle. The audience recognizes through Medea’s internal conflict the goodness in Medea’s character.
This internal conflict continues to last even when Medea decides to kill her sons. She says that "howsoe'er I shield them, die they must" (41). "Must" is the key word in Medea's statement because it suggests that their deaths are outside of her control. Her sons have to die in order for her revenge (which has taken a life of its own) to be complete.
ReplyDeleteMedea's struggle between maternal and pride also illustrates how she is an absolutist. She realizes both her pride and love for her children, however, she makes little attempt to reconcile the two. Either her children are to go, or her own hubris must - and she has a deep-set desire for revenge that will not allow that.
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