It is normally noted that Medea and Achilles possess similarities in their fury. There are five major similarities. They both acknowledge the heroic codification. they feel discredited and unjustly slighted. they react with choler and fury doing them to turn down any advice. they’re referred as “wild beasts” and “savages. ” and they sacrifice the lives of loved 1s and friends to fulfill their demand for retaliation.
The heroic codification is a hero that is willing to face decease. Both Achilles and Medea acknowledge this thought. Medea feels as if she is a hero because she killed the male monarch and his girl. A courier attempts to warn Medea to go forth the metropolis in a haste because they know she was the liquidator. In return. Medea answers. “The finest words you have spoken. Now and afterlife I shall number you among my helpers and friends” ( 718: 1101 – 1102 ) . Medea is non fazed by the choler of the metropolis. She states. “How did they decease? You will please me twice every bit much once more if you say they died in agony” ( 718: 1109 – 1110 ) . Medea is delighted to hear that they have died and that she was the 1 that killed them. Medea is satisfied with herself and her actions. To her. she is the complete significance of a hero. Achilles sees himself as the greatest of all the Achaeans. He states. “…Achilles. the best of the Achaeans” ( 130: 490 ) . He sees himself as a great hero ; a hero that looks out for his friends. Even the council says. “So you. Achilles – great godlike Achilles…” ( 160: 598 – 599 ) . Achilles is known as a great war hero. He non merely considers himself as one. but the whole metropolis does every bit good. Achilles is the perfect illustration of the heroic codification.
Medea and Achilles express the feeling of injury and dishonour throughout their narratives. Even though both characters experience this hurting. they each have their ain grounds as to why they feel this manner. Medea. a princess from Colchis. uses her thaumaturgy and falls in love with Jason. She left her metropolis and everything buttocks to travel back to Corinth with her new hubby. They lived in the metropolis. where they finally had two childs. This matrimony did non last much longer. The nurse expresses this when she says. “But now there’s hated everyplace. Love is diseased. For. abandoning his ain kids and my kept woman. Jason has taken a royal married woman to his bed. the girl of the swayer of this land. Kreon. And hapless Medea is slighted. and calls aloud on the vows they made to each other” ( 695: 16 – 21 ) . Jason non merely abandons Medea. but his kids every bit good.
Medea feels dishonour by this because Jason his go forthing her for the male monarchs girl. He shows no compassion or compunction for what he has done to Medea. By get marrieding the kings’ girl. it allows Jason to go the new male monarch. To Jason. that seems to be the lone thing that affairs. Medea expresses all her hurting and choler for this adult male to the chorus. They feel as if she is traveling to seek retaliation on Jason. While speaking with the chorus. Kreon approaches the house. He states. “You. with that angry expression. so set against you husband. Medea. I order you to go forth my districts. An expatriate. and take along with you your two kids. and non to blow clip making it. It is my decree. and I will see it done. I will non return place until you are cast from the boundaries of my land” ( 701: 269 – 274 ) . Kreon is expatriating Medea because he feels afraid that she might revenge and kill his girl or Jason. Medea feels so dishonored by this. Not merely has she lost her hubby. but now she has lost her lone place for her and her childs. Achilles feels his dishonour after Agamemnon insults him.
Agamemnon abuses Achilles by taking away his war award. Achilles provinces. “The adult male disgraces me. seizes and maintain my award. he tears her away himself! ” ( 129: 421 – 422 ) . Achilles sees the selfishness that Agamemnon is portraying. As a consequence of Chrysies’ male parent desiring her dorsum. Agamemnon in return had to take Briseis from Achilles. Achilles was so outraged by Agamemnon’s actions. that he called on a favour from his female parent. He asks of his female parent. “…Persuade him. somehow. to assist the Trojan cause. to trap the Achaeans back against their ships. pin down them round the bay and cut down them down. So wholly can harvest the benefits of their male monarch – so even mighty Atrides can see how huffy he was to dishonor Achilles. the best of the Achaeans” ( 130: 485 – 490 ) . Achilles asked his ma. Thetis. to carry Zeus to let the Greeks to win. Achilles merely asked of this in consequence to Agamemnon disgracing him.
As a consequence of all of the fury and choler that Medea and Achilles possess. they do non let anyone’s advice to impact or appeal to them. In the drama. Medea is so angry at her husbands’ determinations and being exiled out of the metropolis. Jason tells Medea. This is non the first juncture that I have noticed how hopeless it is to cover with a obstinate pique. For. with sensible entry to our ruler’s will. you might hold lived in this land and maintain your home…Yourself most lucky that expatriate is your penalty. I. for my portion. have ever tried to quiet down the choler of the male monarch. and wished you to remain…Exile brings many problems with it. And even if you hate me. I can non believe severely of you ( 704 – 705: 435 – 453 ) . Jason explains to Medea that she is lucky that expatriate is her lone penalty. Even though she continues to be angry and speak bad about Jason. he still shows no hatred towards her.
His advice to her is to take the penalty and merely go forth. instead so go on to contend it. Jason offers Medea money to assist her and the kids survive in expatriate. but she refuses. He states. “Then in any instance. I call the Gods to witness that I wish to assist you and the kids in every manner. but you refuse what is good for you” ( 708: 607 – 609 ) . He tries to assist them and to maintain them safe while they’re in expatriate. but Medea continues to turn down his offers. No affair how much advice Jason tries to give Medea. she refuses to listen. Achilles is merely every bit obstinate as Medea when it comes to taking someone’s advice. Odysseus tries to remind Achilles of what his male parent one time told him. His male parent tells him. “But you. you hold in cheque that proud. ardent spirit of yours inside your thorax! Friendship is much better. Barbarous wrangles are lifelessly – put an terminal to them. at once” ( 154: 309 – 312 ) . Odysseus reminds Achilles of this so that he would stop his hatred toward Agamemnon. Achilles replies with. “I hatred that adult male like the really Gates of Death who says one thing but hides another in his bosom. I will state it outright” ( 155: 378 – 380 ) . Despite Odysseus’ advice. Achilles still upholds his hate for Agamemnon. Achilles refuses to alter his stance on the state of affairs.
As a consequence of Medea and Achilles actions. they are referred to as “wild beasts” and “savages. ” Medea’s fury becomes so utmost that she uses her childs to kill Kreon’s girl. Medea tells the Chorus. But that by a fast one I may kill the king’s girl. For I will direct the kids with gifts in their custodies to transport to the bride. so as non to be banished. – a finely woven frock and a aureate crown. And if she takes them and have on them upon her tegument she and all who touch the miss will decease in torment ; such toxicant will I put upon the gifts I send ( 711: 767 – 773 ) . Medea plans to destruct Jason’s new household before go forthing the land. Her choler does non stop here though. Not merely does Medea kill the king’s girl. but she besides turns her fury towards her ain kids. Medea provinces. “Force every manner will hold it they must decease. and since this must be so. the I. their female parent. shall kill them” ( 721: 1214 – 1215 ) . Medea acts as if the violent death of her kids resolved all her jobs. She is a really unhappy adult females and she recognizes it. Her childs call for aid. but it does non halt Medea from slaying them.
Her fury as merely wholly taken over her mentality and love for what truly affairs. her childs. Furthermore. after the decease of Patroclus. Achilles’ fury increased much more. Achilles explains. “I shall non bury you. non till I drag back here the cogwheel and caput of Hector. who slaughtered you. my friend. greathearted friend…” ( 185: 389 – 391 ) . Achilles wants Patroclus to cognize that no affair what it takes. he will seek retaliation on Hector. He wants to give Patroclus the proper entombment. but non until he kills Hector. Not merely his Achilles looking to kill Hector. but he threatens to kill the Trojans every bit good. For illustration. he states. “Here in forepart of your flaring pyre I’ll cut the pharynxs of a twelve boies of Troy in all their polishing glorification. venting my fury on them for your devastation! ” ( 185: 392 – 394 ) . Achilles takes his choler out on these work forces in award of his friend. To Achilles. this is his manner of demoing Patroclus his trueness to their friendly relationship.
As if fury is non plenty. both of these characters sacrifice the lives of friends and loved 1s for the demand of retaliation. Medea seeks the worst of retaliation on her hubby. Aside from merely killing Jason’s new married woman and the male monarch. Medea takes his children’s lives every bit good. Medea tells Jason. “So now you may name me a monster. if you wish. or Scylla housed in the caves of the Tuscan sea I excessively. as I had to. hold taken clasp of your heart” ( 723: 1333 – 1335 ) . She shows no emotion for killing her kids. Medea did this merely to acquire back at Jason. She explains. “The kids are dead. I say this to do you suffer” ( 723: 1345 ) . Retaliation is the lone thing Medea had in head. As a consequence of Jason’s actions. Medea found that this was her lone manner of acquiring back at him. She had to do him endure. even if it meant giving the lives of her ain kids. Achilles. besides. allow his choler acquire the best of him. Achilles was so huffy at Agamemnon for taking his war award that he turned against his ain ground forces. Achilles prayed to his female parent inquiring for aid from Zeus. He said. “Persuade him. somehow. to assist the Trojan cause. to trap the Achaeans back against their ships. pin down them round the bay and cut down them down” ( 130: 485 – 487 ) . Achilles wanted the Trojans to win the war. He wanted his ground forces to lose and experience his hurting. He states. “So all can harvest the benefits of their male monarch – so even might Atrides can see how huffy he was to dishonor Achilles. the best of the Achaeans” ( 130: 488 – 490 ) . To Achilles. seeing his ground forces dice was all the retaliation that he needed. All this choler and rage lead these characters to seek retaliation is the worst ways possible.
To reason. Medea and Achilles possess many similarities. While these two characters are from different narratives. they can still be tied together with their actions. This is possible because they know how to acknowledge the heroic codification. they feel dishonored in some manner. they ignore advice due to their choler and fury. they are see to be “wild animals. ” and they seek retaliation.
Plants Cited
Homer. “The Illiad. ” Trans. Robert Fagles. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Sarah Lawell. 2nd erectile dysfunction. Vol. A. New York: Norton. 2009. 114 – 225. Euripides. “The Ramayana. ” Trans. Rex Warner. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Sarah Lawell. 2nd erectile dysfunction. Vol. A. New York: Norton. 2009. 695 – 725.
