Medea: The Myth Behind The Exile Essay Example

📌Category: Books, Entertainment, Literature, Movies
📌Words: 1199
📌Pages: 5
📌Published: 10 June 2021

What signifies being exiled? Told to abandon your family? Abandon your friends? Banished because you represent a hard-headed woman that murdered your husband? From our readings in class until now, it has become understandable that Medea was that woman. Medea represents a strong-willed, independent, hard-headed woman that was sent into exile long before her husband's murder and was sentenced to exile after as well. Exile can occur based on two significant concepts: actions and genders. Portraying exile as an action represents a universal concept, however, in Medea’s case, gender portrays a more prominent role. Forcing a man into exile is simple, but it is even simpler to force a woman into it. Women are forced into exile easier because they tend to be softer and heed their husband's every command, however that is where Medea showcases different characteristics. Medea showcased the immense power and strength she had before her husband's murder and brought that strength and power into Corinth. In the process, she scared Creon into exiling her as well. Medea showcases that women are put down and pushed away from society, but there is more to a woman than listening and obeying orders. Medea's strong ideals usher more women to side with her and that power represents a critical factor in her being exiled from Corinth. Medea remained a leader for all other women at that time and she showcased that her potency of representing a woman would lead to her exile.

Medea knew her strength would be her gravest downfall, but what she didn’t recognize is that because of her strength and willpower she would be exiled from Corinth. Medea grew in hardiness, as she discussed issues with the women in Corinth. Upon her digression, they all agreed with her motions and supported her decisions. However, Creon worried about Medea’s presence in Corinth because he knew she would constitute a threat. He knew that with the support of these women, it would be impossible to defeat Medea. Therefore, Creon was adamant about Medea leaving and advised her “to leave [his] territories and exile” because he knew the longer she stayed the more dangerous she would become (page 10). Creon worried for his safety because Medea was proving to be a power threat even though she was a woman. This shows that women possess an unspoken strength and once that strength is unleashed, it can prove to be fatal to any other individual. In this quote, you can tell that Creon sounds stern but there is a sense of worry in his voice. Creon is taken aback by Medea’s determination and willpower which positions him to be partially on edge, and as the story progresses his fear only escalates. His cowardliness as a man showcases that he can only exile Medea since that is his last resort. He told Medea he would not “waste time doing it”, as he knew his sovereignty was threatened if he prolonged the issue (page 10). Creon knows he must dispose of Medea quickly because the longer she stays, the more potential Medea will acquire, and that potential frightens him immensely. Creon makes a point to “see it done", and his gruff exterior is only a persona for his cowardly interior. He tells Medea that he “will not resume home till [she is] cast from the boundaries of [his] land”(page 10). Creon sends Medea and her kids to exile because he is frightened of the leverage she can gain from the support of the unspoken women in Corinth. He recognizes that since Medea is a woman he can not confront her till she is departed because her authority and power threaten him. Due to this rise in power that she has found in herself, Creon is implementing every precautionary measure to ensure Medea is gone. Medea knows that her potential as a woman is intimidating Creon and she utilizes that power to force herself to exile.

A woman is never allowed to become her own person, as she is advised to listen and obey her husband no matter what the command may be. Women are perceived to be “exiled” from their husband’s life because they are perceived as creatures and workers who only take care of the house. Medea, however, takes the time to express that a woman is not less than her husband. She shows people refer to them as “unfortunate creatures'' even though they alone carry the burdens of their homes on their backs (page 8). They are referred to as derogatory terms because they are compared to animals, in the sense that they are completely dependent on their husbands. However, Medea takes the time to discuss the concept of being an independent woman with her own ideals. Medea explains women are forced to become their husband's possessions in marriage. “With an excess of wealth, it is required for [women] to buy a husband and take [their] bodies a master; for not to take one is even worse” (page 8). By this Medea means that money constitutes the reason they become their husband’s keepers or in other words a slave. But should a woman choose not to marry, that circumstance proves to be even worse. A woman is exiled not because she chose or was forced to marry but because her husband alienates her from society. Men misuse money as an excuse to take over their wives’ lives and refer to them as their servants. Women are equally perceived to be pleasures in bed, but if she doesn’t fulfill that need she is pushed aside and replaced. A woman “[n]eeds prophetic power, unless she has learned at home how best to manage him who shares the bed with her” (page 9). Women are justified as not being their own person which leads to their whole marital life being placed into exile. This means that they are only to accomplish what is expected of them. Men can have other partners or sleep with other people and can “[put] an end to his boredom and [turn] to a friend or companion of his age” if they please (page 9). Women, on the other hand, are unable to do the same things which shows the divide between the two genders. They are also exiled in their own homes if they aren't worthy enough or don't live up to their husband's standards anymore. Their lives turn upside down because their partners exile them and merely abandon them to take care of the house. Women like Medea are exiled in their own family, and their husbands do not care about anything they do or say. A woman’s happiness signifies nothing and therefore they are exiled from their husbands and shunned within small proximity to keep them quiet. When Medea reiterates these points to the women of Corinth, they sympathize with her since they are more likely to experience issues the same way as her. Medea’s authoritative and persuasive words for being a woman depict her exile from her husband and the pain and suffering it caused her.

Medea showed that no matter what the issue, her perseverance and strong-willed personality would overpower any circumstances and she would come out victorious. Her gender would normally prove to be a weakness, but for Medea, her weakness enhanced her vastest vigor. She used being a woman to justify her reasoning for being exiled from her husband and used that to encourage the women of Corinth to agree with her. She used being a woman to suppress Creon and prevail victoriously as she suspected his motives. She recognized that as she became more courageous, Creon only became more cowardly. Exile represents banishment due to both actions and gender. Even though Medea’s actions could have also played a vital role in her exile, gender seemed to be the bigger motive.

 

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