Jason and Medea

Jason is a complex character, especially by the standards of Greek heroes. Jason shares

many traits with other Greek heroes, he is shown as being god-like and possessing superhuman

traits and charm even before gaining his quest and like most great heroes Jason is trained by the

centaur Chiron. Jason is likewise similar to the classic heroes in his hubris and despite his legal

claim to his father’s thrown, he still thirsts for glory and thus undertakes a grand quest for it

instead. On his odyssey of a journey, Jason not only continues to show great similarities with

other Greek heroes, especially with the additional obstacles detailed in The Argonautica, but

gathers other Greek heroes to join him. Like nearly all Greek heroes, on his travels Jason must

prove his physical might, his skill in combat, his charm and sexual prowess, and his monster

killing abilities before he faces his final tests.

Alternatively, Jason differs from classic Greek heroes in nearly as many ways as he is

similar. First, he is entirely mortal. This may at first seem inconsequential, but it is important to

note that hero and demigod could almost be used interchangeably in ancient Greece, yet unlike

the many demigods Jason brings with him, he is but a man.

Second, Jason is not the best hero in his own tale. Odysseus alone survived his ordeals

because of his great wit, strength, skill, and charm. In his tale, Odysseus is the best and is clearly

the hero but in Jason’s tale he is far from the greatest in any field, in just a couple examples,

Hercules trumps Jason in both strength and combat abilities and Medea possesses greater charm

and wit than Jason ever displays.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, Jason is not fearless, in fact, he often behaves in

shamefully craven ways. He does not overcome his trials through his own might or cleverness, is

either relies on the strength of others, as seen in the journey to Colchis. Jason must be made to
leave the comfort of Lemnos, Hercules holds off the giants, and the sons of Boreas chase off the

harpies. Prior to their arrival in Colchis, Jason does very little in the way of being heroic.

After arriving Jason takes a decidedly less heroic series of actions. With the help of

Medea, he circumvents the dangers in his trials to prove his worth and he steals the fleece before

fleeing with Medea and Apsyrtus. When pursued by Aeetes Jason contemplates abandoning

Medea, but instead convinces Medea to kill her brother to prevent the retribution of her father

and the possible retribution of Apsyrtus in the future, an action so craven and cowardly that the

gods intervene and force them to repent. This repentance is not earnest though as after arriving in

Iolcus Jason and Medea again conspire to kill Pelias and not by their own hands. Instead Medea

uses her wit to trick Pelias’ daughters into killing him for Jason. When on Corinth Jason betrays

Medea and instead of admitting fault claims it is for the benefit of their sons, yet another

cowardly action on his part, and decidedly not heroic.

Jason is also depicted as having the favor of certain gods through his journeys, and in

particular one major patron god, Hera. This emphasis on a primary patron deity mirrors many

Greek heroes but the emphasis on it being Hera is odd. When looking at major Greek heroes we

are shown that heroes are usually favored by Athena, Zeus, Poseidon, or Apollo, and Hera is

either neutral or actively against the hero. Dismissing the rarity of her favor, other oddities are

still present. In stories of heroes, the hero’s values or attributes almost always fit with those of

the deity granting them protection or favors. For example, Odysseus was both clever and mighty

in combat and thus gained the protection of Athena goddess of wisdom and war, similarly,

Hector and Paris had the favor of Apollo because he was the Patron of Troy and they were

defending it. Jason, however, actively works against the principles of marriage and the family, of

which Hera has dominion. He repeatedly tries, and eventually does, break his vows to Medea, he
convinces Medea to destroy her family, and together they trick Pelias’ daughters into destroying

their own family.

Even in the beginning, Jason and Hera seem an odd pairing as Jason does not know a

traditional family and has had no knowledge of marriage as he has lived his entire life away from

any family. Yet Jason desires his father’s thrown and seeks to know his parents, at least at first.

Jason shows a fundamental lack of reverence for family and marriage in his quest, which leads to

many broken homes and bastard children along the way, and this disregard may be in part due to

his lack of experience or role models for a functional family. With his first real family being seen

in the Argonauts, which he also brings great dysfunction to.

In the story, nearly all of the stops taken can each be seen as common pitfalls that stop

man from reaching greatness, and how Jason succumbs to each. In Lemnos, they face

contentment with a lesser prize, and it is only at the urging of Hercules do the Argonauts

overcome this hurdle. In Gegeines, we see the hazards of haste when paired with

misunderstanding, the Argonauts cause undue suffering because of their failings. In Colchis, we

see the implications of choosing to take the easy path rather than the right path. Upon returning

to Iolcus, we are shown the dangers of greed, hunger for power, and cowardly behavior. Lastly,

in Corinth we are shown the perils of ambition, betrayal, infidelity, and through Medea,

obsession or unbridled passion.

Medea is definitely not a heroic person in the journey either, however, I would argue that

she is also not a villain. Instead, she plays a willing victim and becomes an instrument of Jason’s

villainy. Jason was able to use Medea’s love to guide her into betraying her family, her

homeland, and her people. In effect she destroyed everything she had known for him. Then she is

made to betray her brother to protect Jason, severing her last connection to who she was before.
In Iolcus, she betrays her morals and becomes as craven and devious as Jason, but without the

self-serving aspect, as again she does these evils for Jason. Before their arrival to Corinth, Medea

has no dark motive, she acts out of love for Jason, and while the outcomes are dark and

decidedly evil, she is not. Even when she kills Glauce and Creon she is justified in her behavior.

Jason has corrupted her beyond repair, before moving on towards greener pastures and her need

to wound him is understandable. She lacks the malice to be villainous, until she becomes exactly

like Jason and kills her children in spite, with this action she becomes Jason’s villainous equal.

In the versions before the addition of Medea killing her children, I think Medea’s story is

incredibly tragic but also incredibly progressive. Without that final step into depravity Medea

ends the story morally superior to Jason and the entire story can be viewed as a tale of how a

woman can be your greatest ally and how a good loving spouse can go to any length to help their

significant other achieve their dreams, as well as a warning not to betray, in a way it serves as an

ancient version of what comes around goes around. Euripdes may have changed the ending to

make Jason seem more tragic or sympathetic, or perhaps to make Medea seem less so. Being a

foreigner and a woman, likely shaped how audiences wanted to see Medea and adding in her

final betrayal fed that desire.