the first” referring to him killing his daughter. She talks fiercely and intelligently to the chorus about her actions, and how she is prepared for anyone’s reaction. The act is concluded with Clytemnestra satisfied and Iphigenia’s death justified. Seeking revenge due to a betrayal, especially by her husband, seems to be almost like second nature to all women. In Euripides Medea, Medea is willing to go through a series of murders, just to get keep her pride and to avenge her husband’s affair. Medea, a sorceress and princess has left her own homeland, betraying a string of people, just to be with her husband. When he decides to divorce her and marry Glauce, daughter of Creon, Medea is outraged. Her emotional transformation goes from suicidal to fury. Cursing her husband Jason and all people that have laughed behind her she vows to “see my enemies punished as they deserve.” Medea’s main strategy is to emotionally get back at Jason by killing their two sons. She does struggle within herself between the devotion as a mother and the justice and pride for herself. However, the anger inside of her outweighs her motherhood side, “yes, I can endure guilt, however horrible; the laughter of my enemies I will not endure“, and she continues to set her plan. She uses her children to bring Glauce a gift of ’peace’ - a golden dress and a gold coronet. However, she poisons both of these materials, anyone touching them having to face the most horrifying death. When the news is brought that both Glauce and Creon are dead, Medea sets forth her children’s murder. Noting the “horror” of what she is about to do, she sees that “anger” is her only loyalty, which has sprung out of her love and -3-needs to vindicate itself through revenge. She then “sacrifices” her children, leaving Jason fatherless, widowed, and homeless. In The Oedipus ...
