Medea: The Lack of Karmic Downfall

Medea: The Lack of Karmic Downfall

Abhirami Sankaran

2/3/2023


One epic I find fascinating is that of Jason and Medea. Truly Medea is a fascinating character. She is one of the few women in Greek epics whose actions are largely villainous yet is never punished. 


Likely the cause of this is that she breaks no morays of Greek society of her own volition. Her initial love of Jason is caused by Hera and her betrayal of her family is in service of this love. She plans and abets fratricide yet it is Jason who performs the act and this too was in service of her love. Later, after Jason betrays her, abandoning her in service of a princess, she kills her children. Yet, since she only committed this action as a result of Jason's betrayal, she is never truly punished. Despite all her crimes she is never concretely killed. 


I wonder what the message behind this was meant to be? What was the symbolism and what was the audience supposed to take away?


Was it that since her fate was tied by the gods to Jason, and he was responsible for her actions, she bore no responsibility? Was it a commentary on collective guilt? Was it that since she had no fatal flaw that she deserves no thematic downfall? Or did the fact that her death served no moral purpose since she was toyed with by fate?


I wonder how others interpret this text and what other explanations or meanings can be applied to it.

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