"L'enfer c'est les autres"--JP Sartre
This year, students will explore the theme of otherness. What defines the mainstream and how does this mainstream dictate to others? What does it mean to be marginalized? How has the mainstream impacted the world of ideas across the centuries?
On this question I have to agree with what Naima said in class: It is both Medea's and Jason's Tragedy, and together they form a tragic hero. Medea in the end doesn't die and some classmates believe that a tragic hero must die, but no, a tragic hero is someone “cursed” with a tragic flaw which in the end leads to a tragic downfall, not necessarily death. For Medea the fact of sacrificing her children's lives was enough of a burden to wound Jason. Medea tragic flaw is love and uncontrollable emotions which led to wounding Jason at the price of a lot of collateral damage. Jason's tragic flaw is his ego, his “ethos”, he believe that because of his conquest with the Argonauts he is invincible, able to leave his 10 year “perfect” wife so easily. This egomania sparks Medea's storm and together lead to both of there dooms: Jason loses his entire “oikis” and legacy while Medea loses her children. In the end, there would not be a tragedy without Jason's ego or Medea's uncontrollable love. They together make it possible for the play to be a tragedy.
Unlike some, I believe that Jason is the sole tragic hero. In Ancient Greece, tragedies served as a sort of lesson to the citizens. The hero's tragic flaw would lead to the hero's downfall, showing the citizens the dangers of the flaw. The Athens in which Euripides wrote his play is patriarchal. Consequently, the audience of the play, which was predominantly male, sought to learn from Jason's actions.
According to Aristotle, a hero becomes tragic because of an error in judgement. Additionally, the hero must start the play as noble and successful. However, being that Medea starts the play as homeless automatically disqualifies her from being a tragic hero in Aristotle's point of view. Moreover, one could say that Medea being a woman, since men made decisions for the women, disqualifies her from being a tragic hero.
Over the course of the play, Medea does not lose as much as Jason. For the hero to be tragic he must lose what is most precious to him, usually his life. Jason, on the other hand, loses his children and his wife. His life is ruined because of his naiveness.
I wanted to say that it depends on how we perceive the play: if we look at it in the way they saw it in ancient Greece, Jason would be the tragic hero. As Patrick said, at the time the male audience was expecting to learn from a male character, who could represent the Greek values, and in that way Jason was a more appropriate tragic hero than Medea.
However, if we look at it with our present values, both Medea and Jason are the tragic heroes, as Oliver and Naima said. It is true that Jason, unlike Medea, presents most of the characteristics of a tragic hero, but if we consider them together they meet the conditions to be considered as the tragic hero. Moreover, nowadays Medea is not discredited for being a woman and a barbarian, so it is possible to include her as part of the tragic hero.
Jason alone can be considered as the tragic hero, but it is hard to consider Medea as it, even by taking in account what happened before. Although she presents the characteristics (she was noble in her country, and has a tragic flaw), there seems to be no downfall. I believe this is because of her relation to the gods: as she is the granddaughter of the sun, she is above simple humans and can't play the role of the tragic hero. Moreover, although she has a tragic flaw in this play, she acts to avenge Jason's not respecting of an oath to the gods. She cannot therefore suffer any downfall: she is the instrument through which the gods take revenge on Jason.
On this question I have to agree with what Naima said in class: It is both Medea's and Jason's Tragedy, and together they form a tragic hero. Medea in the end doesn't die and some classmates believe that a tragic hero must die, but no, a tragic hero is someone “cursed” with a tragic flaw which in the end leads to a tragic downfall, not necessarily death. For Medea the fact of sacrificing her children's lives was enough of a burden to wound Jason. Medea tragic flaw is love and uncontrollable emotions which led to wounding Jason at the price of a lot of collateral damage.
ReplyDeleteJason's tragic flaw is his ego, his “ethos”, he believe that because of his conquest with the Argonauts he is invincible, able to leave his 10 year “perfect” wife so easily. This egomania sparks Medea's storm and together lead to both of there dooms: Jason loses his entire “oikis” and legacy while Medea loses her children.
In the end, there would not be a tragedy without Jason's ego or Medea's uncontrollable love. They together make it possible for the play to be a tragedy.
Good point, Oliver! Let's remember that tragedy is the outcome of bad choices, too, ultimately the responsibiity of the tragic hero.
ReplyDeleteUnlike some, I believe that Jason is the sole tragic hero. In Ancient Greece, tragedies served as a sort of lesson to the citizens. The hero's tragic flaw would lead to the hero's downfall, showing the citizens the dangers of the flaw. The Athens in which Euripides wrote his play is patriarchal. Consequently, the audience of the play, which was predominantly male, sought to learn from Jason's actions.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Aristotle, a hero becomes tragic because of an error in judgement. Additionally, the hero must start the play as noble and successful. However, being that Medea starts the play as homeless automatically disqualifies her from being a tragic hero in Aristotle's point of view. Moreover, one could say that Medea being a woman, since men made decisions for the women, disqualifies her from being a tragic hero.
Over the course of the play, Medea does not lose as much as Jason. For the hero to be tragic he must lose what is most precious to him, usually his life. Jason, on the other hand, loses his children and his wife. His life is ruined because of his naiveness.
I wanted to say that it depends on how we perceive the play: if we look at it in the way they saw it in ancient Greece, Jason would be the tragic hero. As Patrick said, at the time the male audience was expecting to learn from a male character, who could represent the Greek values, and in that way Jason was a more appropriate tragic hero than Medea.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if we look at it with our present values, both Medea and Jason are the tragic heroes, as Oliver and Naima said. It is true that Jason, unlike Medea, presents most of the characteristics of a tragic hero, but if we consider them together they meet the conditions to be considered as the tragic hero. Moreover, nowadays Medea is not discredited for being a woman and a barbarian, so it is possible to include her as part of the tragic hero.
Jason alone can be considered as the tragic hero, but it is hard to consider Medea as it, even by taking in account what happened before. Although she presents the characteristics (she was noble in her country, and has a tragic flaw), there seems to be no downfall. I believe this is because of her relation to the gods: as she is the granddaughter of the sun, she is above simple humans and can't play the role of the tragic hero. Moreover, although she has a tragic flaw in this play, she acts to avenge Jason's not respecting of an oath to the gods. She cannot therefore suffer any downfall: she is the instrument through which the gods take revenge on Jason.