"As representatives of the Greek heroic ideal, both Medea and Jason are flawed, but Jason is more so than Medea. Discuss".
It is well known, that in Greek thought, the heroic ideal was an extremely powerful concept. Obviously the Gods were the most significant characters in life, but closely following them, were heroes. Jason becomes a national hero as he defeats the ancient creature and captures the Golden Fleece, however in the play Medea, it is clear that he is no longer the great hero of the Argonaut legend. Both Medea and Jason are flawed characters in their heroic aspects, however, small instances in the play, make the audience believe that Medea is further flawed than Jason. .
It was believed that through his glorious actions, not only could a hero gain fame, but he could also gain a sense of partial immortality. The Greek afterlife was not very positive and was feared by many, as it was essentially a realm of shadows inhabited by spirits who wished to roam the earth again. Thus, the form of heroic immortality bestowed by heroic action was the highest aim of the hero. One important aspect of the heroic code, was the idea of "doing good to one's friends, and harm to one's enemies. However, here the word friend is inadequate as the family is central, and needs to be protected if the hero is to maintain honour. On the other hand, the failure to do harm to one's enemies involves a loss of face for the hero, and allows for the "triumphant laughter of enemies" and it is this aspect of heroism that Medea concentrates on throughout the play. One such quote is "my enemies will not laugh at me".
To be honest, Medea is far from perfect. Her perfidious nature contrasts her heroic side rather severely, and she is seen by some members of the audience to be wicked and far from heroic. But the audience must remember that she was betrayed heavily by Jason, which in turn left her powerless and disinherited.
