Medea’s manipulative nature

Creon “Show some pity: you are a father too, you should feel kindly towards them” Through the use of the direct personal pronoun “you”, Euripides sets up a level of trust and intimacy between Creon and Medea, using Medea’s manipulative character to cause Creon to reflect on the given circumstances. By telling Creon “you should feel kindly towards them”, this questions his morals not only as a King, yet also on a more personal level: as a person, a father, showing the divided duty Creon possesses. Euripides uses this emotive and persuasive language to highlight Medea’s cunning and calculating character.

Creon “I’m in no position – A woman – to wrong a king” Pushing more responsibility onto Creon as a way to inflict the feeling of guilt The woman speaking for the man (personal pronoun ‘i’m’ helping feed Creon’s ego Shows Medea’s knowledge and understanding of the social structure and ways to properly conform with people.

Jason “It was I who killed it, and so lit the torch of your success” The use of the personal pronoun “I” shows the direct participation Medea had in Jason’s ‘success’. The choice of words “lit the torch of your success” highlights the manipulating nature of Medea’s character as she tries to win Jason’s empathy by showing all the things she has done for him. By ‘lighting’ the torch of Jason’s success, Euripides insinuates the controlling and authoritative essence of Medea, as a torches only purpose is to be light: without the light, a torch has no use. Therefore Medea becomes Jason’s ‘need’, conveying the shift of power in a very patriarchal society.

Jason “On your house too Fate sends me as a curse” Euripides reflects the social and contextual issues of the time by linking in the problem of the gods and fate. The audience would have identified with these issues, seeing their own struggles being reflected on stage to some extent. By doing this, the playwright sets up a relationship between actor and audience, breaking the fourth wall between them. Through Medea using Fate as a “curse” against Jason, Euripides portrays the immense anger and manipulative attempt to cause Jason fear for what is about to come, as the Gods were seen to have the ultimate power.

Jason “You must bear with my violent temper; you and I share many memories of love” Euripides utilises this ‘apology’ to expose Medea’s manipulative nature, as well as insinuating Jason’s fickle and unsteady character. The change of tone seen in Medea’s speech juxtaposes greatly to earlier dialogue and confrontation with Jason, further conveying the way in which Medea changes to attain her seek for revenge. On stage, this dichotomy would have been heavily exaggerated to portray the many, interchangeable façades of Medea, ultimately making her the strongest character in the play. The use of the personal pronouns “you and I”, addressing the “many memories of love” encourage reflection and thought of the past, reminding Jason of all the cheerful moments he has had with Medea, using emotive language to sway his character into believing whatever Medea is about to propose.

Jason “Don’t stop me. Gifts, they say, persuade even the gods” Medea’s imperatives towards Jason “don’t stop me” shows that she is leading the conversation and she is thinking in place of Jason. Medea’s willingness to give and give to Jason, with the reason already stated, to ‘persuade’ emphasises Medea’s cunningness and manipulative ability. ‘Persuade even the gods’ in the context of the era the play was set in would have been surprising because fate is in the hands of gods and Medea believes she can change that.

Aegeus “I trust you; but I have enemies” Through the link of Medea’s trust and the personal pronoun “you” in direct address to Aegeus, Euripides sets up an illusionary bond between the characters that enables Medea into persuading Aegeus to commit to an oath before the Gods. Through the psychological manipulation “but I have enemies”, the playwright shifts the attention to characters such as Jason and Creon, making Aegeus believe that Medea needs protection from them, rather than the actions she herself, is about to commit. Thus, the manipulative nature of her character is shown as she interacts with characters in a chameleon-esque nature, adapting to her specific needs at the given circumstances.

Aegeus “Have pity! I am an exile; let me not be friendless” Euripides’ use of an imperative “have pity!” juxtaposes positions of power at that time. This is significant because Aegeus is the king of Athens. Medea’s ability to take power in conversations. Personal pronoun “I” makes the conversation between them forcibly more personal between them. Medea lies to the king “let me not be friendless”. Contrast of her ‘dire’ situation depending on who she is talking with. Medea is a good socialiser and knows only what needs to be said to achieve what she wants. The ability to lie to the king signifies the audience on her manipulative ability and also the potential for how much power she can hold.