To what extent is it true to say that Medea loses her identity through Euripides' Medea. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayPerhaps to address this title you need to look up a definition of "identity." The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “individuality, personality…absolute identity.” The question now becomes: firstly whether Medea's character changes radically over the course of the play and secondly whether all aspects of her character remain constant. The answers to these questions are found in an analysis of Medea's character and in a comparison of the eponymous villain at the beginning and end of Euripides' masterpiece. It can be said that the definition of character lies partly in perceived social status. Primarily, Medea is a woman, and therefore fits into the traditional Greek stereotypes of the "weaker sex". Clearly this fundamental characteristic of Medea cannot change during the course of the work. Likewise, she is irrevocably a witch at both the beginning and end of the play. He was able to rejuvenate Aeson, half-brother of King Pelias of Iolcus, with magical herbs, and here he manages to skillfully poison Glauce and Creon. Characters who possess magical powers in Greek mythology are usually excluded from society. Medea herself suggests that magic isolates her in her long speech to the choir. The third and final immutable aspect of her character is that she is a foreigner. To the xenophobic "people" of Corinth (who are both symbolized and represented by the chorus), Medea is a barbarian: "She learns through pain what blessings are enjoyed by those who are not uprooted from their native land." Medea is not part of the community, but rather a “scary woman” who should be avoided. Medea is defined by her different nationality, as well as her most obvious characteristics, and these certainly don't change over the course of 'Medea'. When she married Jason and came to Corinth, Medea (allegedly) assumed the nationality of a Corinthian. When Creon declares “I command you to leave Corinth,” he attempts to deprive her of this part of herself. Medea's response is fierce: 'Oh! This is the cruel end of my cursed life.' Medea fights to keep her place in Corinth, but not out of love, but because she wants to overthrow her figurehead and her daughter. It may be true to say that Medea values ​​her public appearance, as she works hard to earn the respect of the people around her; the Nurse declares that she has earned the citizen's welcome. However, by the end of the show she has been kicked out of the county and flees to safety. His nationality changes and presumably this part of his identity changes too. Another integral part of Medea's character is her identity as a mother. She rejects this part of herself to get revenge on Jason for the destruction of their marriage. He rejected Medea as a wife and in return she destroys Jason as a father. Medea's killing of her children is her most horrific crime in both modern and contemporary eyes; she "hates her children", and her crime seems all the worse for the breaking of this strong natural bond. Identity, however, is largely subjective, and therefore the perception of Medea in the eyes of the other characters in the play must be taken into account. accounts. Jason himself understands that Medea changes significantly over the course of the play. Medea initially seems unreasonable, and Jason describes her as reluctant to "calm [her] furious temper." She is unwilling to compromise, or do little more than insult her husband, and begins her tirade with the insult "you dirty coward!". At their next meeting, Medea seems to have cooled downher temperament considerably, and she now once again adopts the position of a traditional, submissive and supportive wife. She admits "I was wrong" and as a result Jason himself now resumes his role as "conventional" husband. From his point of view, his character has improved significantly. However, "Medea" ends with the husband also disunited in grief, with Medea refusing to allow Jason to hold the bodies of her murdered children. Her character has made a complete U-turn and so, at least in her husband's eyes, Medea's identity changes twice in the course of the play. However, the change is only apparent due to Medea's cunning subterfuge; it is not evidence of a genuine change in his character. The other close members of Medea's family, her children, are presented by Euripides as silent figures to whom Medea represents a threat; And don't come near... her; ... Her mood is cruel' Initially Medea appears to be a danger to her children. However, it is impossible to know how they feel because they never express their opinions. When presented with her children in anticipation of killing them, Medea can often be seen bursting into tears. This may suggest that she is a loving mother. The horror of his subsequent actions forces his children to say words and shout: "Mom, don't kill us!". The children's shock is at this point transferred to the audience when both the cruelty of the act and the surprising reversal of Medea's maternal feelings are revealed to them. In her actions towards her children, and therefore in their understanding of her, Medea is anything but consistent. Egeus sees Medea from and outside one point of view. His only appearance in the play shows him as a trustee and good friend of Medea. The two confide in each other; he describes her search for children and she describes her husband's infidelity. As far as one can extrapolate, Egeo sees Medea as a constant. They meet and part on very cheerful terms, and their quarrelsome conversation seems full of jokes and has a deadly purpose. Egeo is, however, aware of Medea's dark side. This must be why he refuses to give her safe passage to Corinth, only protecting her once she gets there. Both appear powerful and rational; Medea here contrasts with her later and earlier speeches, ranting and passionate. This perhaps suggests that Medea was brought to her anguished and treacherous state by Jason's actions. However, it is important to recognize that in Greek mythology the character of Medea kills outside the scope of the play, and we are reminded of this by the nurse in the very first speech. Creon is the other king that Medea has to deal with. She changes her mind during the meeting with him: initially she flatly states "I will not return to my palace until I have secured you outside my borders." The sensitive Creon admits that he fears Medea, and is rightly wary of her. . However, when he leaves, he has clearly been emotionally manipulated by her, and her attitude towards him is relaxed enough that he allows her to spend one more day in his city, at his expense. In his scene, therefore, Creon's attitude towards Medea changes, but this does not mean that his identity changes. She is the same fearsome woman at the end of this scene, as her subsequent actions show. The nurse is also rightly afraid of her mistress. He realizes Medea's deadly intentions, remarking "She will not calm her anger until she has found her victim." The nurse soon realizes Medea's true identity, and her crimes seem more like a realization of deadly potential than a change in character. For her, Medea remains coherent. The guardian is also a very minor character. He advises Medea to.