Medea's Children: Revenge And Euthanasia Over the course of Euripides' play Medea, the protagonist makes five truly significant speeches which seem to provide the outline for the plot. In these speeches Medea addresses the audience or the chorus of women, among whom she seeks a measure of justification and self-understanding. From the beginning her motivation and determination in destroying Jason's new family is obvious. However, her thoughts regarding the death of her own children seem to vacillate throughout the work. Over the course of these speeches, one sees the development of her revenge, the careful strategic outlay of her plans, and steady struggle between her maternal instincts, her womanly desire for revenge, and he desire to shelter her children from a harsh reality.

When we first see Medea enter the play, she is hysterical in grief. At that moment, she speaks of hating her children, saying "Children of a hateful mother, I curse you / And you father. Let the whole house crash." (112-113) Of course at the same time she speaks of killing herself as well, so one might chalk these murderous sentiments up to hyperbole. However, these words are significant for two particular reasons -- first that this mad grief belies her later philosophical resignation in speaking with the chorus, and secondly that this is the only time in the course of the play that Medea is ever shown as hating her children or failing to care about them. Here the poet seems to be suggesting that Medea's later murder is driven by hatred, but throughout the remainder of the play and in all of the significant speeches she seems to be far more concerned with the welfare of her children than one might expect.

In the first of her great speeches, Medea addresses the chorus of women -- in fear, it seems, that she will be thought of poorly for her excesses. In this speech she begs their understanding for the revenge that she plans to undertake, and makes the women of...

Here she is able to win their sympathies by appealing to the common fate of women, saying "We women are the most unfortunate creatures" (231), and thus making her story into a fundamental battle in the war of the sexes. She seems here to be reflective and calm in her approach to the situation, which shows both her intelligence and her political genius. Before this speech is over, she completely wins over the sympathies and support of the women of the city, even though they later tremble at her methods they will not stop her. At this point her plans seem as yet unformed, being more emotional than intentional.
In the second great speech, Medea deals with the shame of fawning before Creon and mocks him for succumbing to her. One notices here that she begins to make her plans. She seems much more set and determined now, and he reflective intelligence is mixed with a kind of proud psychopathy. She appeals to Hecate, the dark goddess, and speaks again of the strength of womanhood. What is curious in this speech is that there is no hint of doing any harm to her children. She lists those she will harm: "I will make dead bodies / Of three of my enemies -- father, the girl, and my husband." (374-375) She does not seem to show any sign here of harming her own young, and her only debate is in regards to the method of execution she will use for those who are her enemies. Though she speaks of murder here, she still seems somewhat sane -- she considers consequences and the importance of method with as much attention as she considers her cause.

The idea of killing her children seems to spring from nowhere in the third great speech. If anything, Medea is even calmer here than in previous scenes. She has determined upon her plot, and knows what is necessary to bring it to pass. She has hit upon a plan which will enable her to destroy Jason's bride, and possibly others of her household.…