FEMALE VILLAINS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Medea
“She already is a dangerous figure: clever, female, foreign and magical.”
Natalie Haynes, Pandora’s Jar p. 230
Medea is one of the most conflicting characters in Greek Mythology. Her reputation as a brutal witch quickly precedes her, yet her cleverness and capableness go unrecognized. It is easy to forget that even straight-up villains have nuance and complexities.
Medea’s story begins in Colchis, where she grew up with her mother Idyia and her father Aeëtes (Circe’s brother, possessor of the Golden Fleece). She is a powerful yet naive witch who has honed her strength through trial and error. Because of her capabilities, our supposed ‘hero’ Jason, deems her the perfect ally.
The Leagros Group, Hydra, 510-200 BCE
Modern adaptations from ancient texts frequently exclude female perspectives, so it is hard to understand just how much of the work Medea did. She was the one that defended Jason and the Argonauts from threats such as the snake guarding the fleece. She pretty much single-handedly completed the impossible tasks ordered by Aeëtes; plow the field of Area with fire-breathing bulls, plant the field with dragon teeth, and then defeat the earth army that came from the teeth. She was also the mastermind that got Jason and friends off of Colchis - which cost her her relationship with her father and her little brother’s life. When they got back to Jason’s homeland, Medea even orchestrated the murder of Jason’s king; Pelias, which resulted in their exile.
“The help I gave you cost me my home.”
Natalie Haynes, Pandora's Jar, 245
Paulus Bor, the Disillusioned Medea, 1640
William Wetmore Story, Medea, 1865, The MET
After all that Medea has done for him, Jason still betrays her. In their new land, Cornith, Jason finds it wise to marry the King’s daughter. By this time, he and Medea have two school-aged sons together. He tells Medea he is not marrying for love but for wealth and security; however, this wealth and security will not be extended to Medea and her sons. Still seen as barbarians, the King has banished them. When the betrayal becomes public, Medea’s wits come out. She addresses the women of the court and gives them a speech that proves just how clever she is. She plays the role of a helpless wife taken as a war bride to gain their sympathy. Shortly after, she begins plotting revenge on everyone who has betrayed her; Jason, his new wife, and the King.
Medea begs the King for one day to get her belongings together, tells Jason how sorry she is, and wants to give his new bride a present to congratulate her. Little does Jason know that Medea coated the gift in poison, ultimately killing both the bride and her father, the King. Her revenge on Jason is much more extreme. She plots to kill her own children to guarantee he will never feel love or wealth again. After the death of the bride and the King, Medea stabs her children before fleeing away to Athens to seek sanctuary with Aegeus.
"Of all creatures that can feel and think, we women are the worst treated things alive"
Euripides, Medea
Frederick Sandys, Medea, c.1868