Medea

Anger was clearly a topic of interest to Seneca: while it shows up as a theme in many of his tragedies, he also wrote a philosophical treatise called On Anger in around 45 CE. In this treatise, Seneca explores the various types and causes of anger, while also providing advice and strategies for preventing and controlling anger. As a Stoic philosopher, Seneca believed that the key to happiness was avoiding strong emotions in favor of a calm and rational outlook. The tension between this viewpoint, as represented in many of Seneca’s philosophical texts, and the intense rage often represented in his tragedies led to many readers and scholars believing for centuries that Seneca the playwright and Seneca the philosopher were actually two different people. The current consensus is that the same man wrote both On Anger and Medea. As a work of fiction, Medea may allow for a more imaginative exploration of anger and its aftermath.

At the start of Act III, Medea continues to meditate on her anger, while the Nurse again urges her to calm down. Medea’s anger is both a reaction to her unjust abandonment and the fuel for her vengeance. Medea’s anger becomes a vessel for her ambitions; she grandly explains, “I will attack the gods/I will shake the world” (III.424-425). When paired with her earlier insistence that she was the one to save the Argonauts, Medea’s rage provides an opportunity for her to do something truly memorable, even if her reputation is cemented with notoriety. Her contributions to the quest for the Golden Fleece went unnoticed and uncelebrated, so at least by committing atrocities, she can earn her own fame while also avenging herself.

In this act, at the midpoint of the play, Jason and Medea finally interact with one another. Their interaction functions as a fatal turning point in the action of the plot: during their conversation, Medea makes some attempts at reconciliation, but by the end of their conversation, Medea has given up all hope of reconciliation and is fully committed to her plan of vengeance. It is also during this conversation that Jason’s declarations of love for his children plant the seed for Medea’s final plan.

Jason reveals himself as a self-absorbed and self-pitying character. He comes on stage lamenting, “my luck is always bad” (III.431) and later sighs, “poor me!” (III.436). While Jason might feel conflicted about his decision to renounce Medea, he is not the one who is suffering. If anything, his pity should be reserved for Medea, but Jason thinks only of himself. Significantly, Jason does reveal that he seemingly was not enthusiastic about dissolving his marriage, and would have preferred not to do so. He states that “If I did not want to die, I had to give up […] fidelity” (III.436-437). Jason’s self-pity and eagerness to justify his own behavior reveal that he is more preoccupied with his own well-being than that of Medea.

Jason’s willingness to repudiate Medea—especially, as she later points out, after everything she has sacrificed for him—also further undermines him as a heroic figure. Rather than being courageous and standing up for his principles, Jason meekly submits to what he claims is a corrupt authority. Later, Medea pleads with Jason to have the courage to stand up to Creon, and Acastus too, if necessary. She promises Jason that even if Creon and Acastus ally against them with Aeetes, she will “destroy them all” (III.527). Given Medea’s history of successfully keeping Jason safe, this promise should be reassuring. Jason, however, is still too timid to take this risk; this dynamic develops his character, revealing that he is passive and concerned mostly with self-preservation and the status quo.

Medea also expounds bitterly on the pain that her sentence of exile is bringing to her. When Jason defends himself by arguing that his “tears persuaded [Creon] to grant you exile” (III.491), Medea bitterly replies, “Exile, it seems, is a gift. I thought it was a punishment” (III.492). Medea’s insistence that exile is a “punishment” and not a “gift” or act of mercy emphasizes the tragedy and precariousness of her position. Medea’s exile is portrayed as especially tragic because she is already a foreigner and an outsider. As Medea explains, “You are sending me back, but to whom/ […] Tell me, what country should I go and seek?” (III.451-453). Medea is not merely a repudiated wife: she is a repudiated wife who gave up everything for a risky marriage and is now realizing that Jason will not sacrifice for her the way that she sacrificed for him. The context of Medea’s vulnerability as an outsider is important because it helps to make the plot more morally nuanced: Medea does terrible things, but she has also been mistreated in horrible ways.

The plot moves abruptly from a scene in which Medea is quite sympathetic, as she pleads with Jason to acknowledge everything she has given up for him, to the moment when her grotesque plan begins to take shape. Jason unwittingly reveals his vulnerability when he tells Medea that his children are “[his] reason for living,” describing how, “My scorched heart finds in them/My comfort for my pain” (III.547-548). Rather than feeling tenderness that Jason shares her love for their children, Medea sees a weak point that she can exploit, revealing the crafty and strategic nature of her character.

Although Medea has been forceful and direct in her desire for vengeance, she shows that she is capable of cunning and deceit when she asks Jason for the chance to say goodbye to her children. Medea hides her true intentions behind a falsely repentant speech in which she asks Jason to “let what [she] said in anger/Be totally erased” (III.558-559). Although he should know her better than anyone, Jason immediately falls for her lie. Jason’s error shows both his naivety and his desire for the order established by conventional gender roles. By believing that Medea is truly sorry for her outburst of anger, Jason can restore his authority and condescendingly advise her to “control the fire in [her] heart/And take things easy” (III.558-559).