Katarzyna Barbara Parys

Third reflection assignment

Choose either Medea or Ajax. Which main character, Medea or Ajax, exhibits a greater respect
for 'law' (you should provide a working definition of 'law' here)? Remember that 'law' can refer
to moral, natural, divine, positive, or other types of law. You are free to pick one and stick to it.

In my opinion, Medea has a greater respect for law. Moreover, the law she is
following is the law she established for herself. Medea´s definition of law is the law of
love. The law she believes in is the law of love and passion. In her system of believes it
is possible to betray the family for love. She betrayed her family because she fell in love
with Jason, she killed her brother to help her lover. Then, she had to run away from her
home because of her betrayal. As she sacrificed everything in love´s sake, she is
expecting loyalty from her husband. When Jason falls in love with Creon´s daughter
and wants to marry her, Medea´s anger is fatal.

Medea believes that she has a right to destroy her husband, his mistress and the
father of the mistress, the king Creon. “I know how full of fears a woman is, And faint
at need, and shrinking from the light Of battle: but once spoil her of her right In man's
love, and there moves, I warn thee well, No bloodier spirit between heaven and hell.”
(Euripides 1912: 16). In this fragment it can be seen that a fragile woman, when her
right of man´s love is violated, can exercise a bloody vendetta. Medea believes in the
virtue of promise keeping in marriage but breaking the promise can have fatal
consequences for betraying spouse.

Her vendetta is based on the fact that Jason broke their marriage. “Are the old
gods dead? Are the old laws forgot, And new laws made?” (29). Jason explains that, by
Greek law, he could get married again because Medea, as barbarian, is not treated by
Greek law as legitimate spouse. So, in the face of civil law, he could marry the princess
of Corinth and have a better life for his offspring in a king´s house. Moreover, Medea is
not to be deceived by Jason´s arguments. Also, Medea´s law, as we will see later, is
above human law.

Medea´s idea of vendetta on her husband is to kill Creon and his daughter. Also,
to make Jason´s life even more miserable, she had decided to kill their children. “Since
thou has bared thy fell intent to us I, loving thee, and helping in their need Man's laws,
adjure thee, dream not of this deed!” (47). The leader of chorus is pointing to Medea
that her idea of killing her own children is against all the laws, but she is decided to
proceed with her plan. Her vendetta has to be done and she is convinced that the part of
killing her children is inevitable. She feels pity for her children, but she decides to kill
them because she does not want them to be scoffed, or to suffer because of her acts.

Medea was deeply convinced that her law of love is a just one, and the one that
betrayed her must suffer terrible consequences of his acts. Her sacrifice, when
disdained, needs cruel and bloody vendetta that will not anger gods.

The most surprising part of the play is that Medea´s terrible actions did not
offended gods. Medea was saved by them after her vendetta, he was taken from Corinth
by the carriage of Helios. Because of her divine descent, her vendetta, despite of cruel
murder of her own offspring, is seen as legitimate. We can infer that humans and gods
have different laws. Gods can break the rules with no consequences. Humans, when
they act against any law, are to meet god´s anger, they obtain a terrible fatum above
them and their family and have to suffer for generations. Gods and other divine beings,
like Medea, have more freedom of acts. Their crimes does not need to be revenged.