Jason and Medea
Book VII
Eva Muhl
About Ovid's Jason and Medea
In Ovid's "Metamorphoses," the story of Jason and Medea is a dramatic and tragic story filled with love, magic, and betrayal. Jason, the leader of the Argonauts, is tasked with retrieving the Golden Fleece to reclaim his rightful throne. During his quest, he arrives in Colchis and meets Medea, a powerful sorceress and the daughter of King Aeetes. Driven by love, Medea agrees to help Jason beat her fathers games to capture the golden fleece. The only way Jason can overcome the seemingly impossible tasks set by Medea's father is by using her magic. With Medea's assistance, Jason secures the Golden Fleece, and in return, he promises to marry her. Medea’s magic proves indispensable to Jason’s success.She provides him with a potion to protect him from the games.
Finally, she lulls the sleepless dragon guarding the Golden Fleece to sleep, allowing Jason to capture the fleece. After fleeing Medea's home, they settle in Jasons hometown, where Medea rejuvenates Jason’s father, Aeson, by replacing his old blood with a magical potion, restoring his youth. The lines I chose, follow Medea preforming the ritual to restore Jasons fathers youth (173-209). Soon after, their relationship deteriorates when Jason marries someone else. Medea, feeling deeply betrayed, plots a terrible revenge. She gifts Jasons new wife a poison robe which ends up killing his new bride. Medea's vengeance reaches its peak when she kills her own children to leave Jason devastated, making sure he has no legacy. Jason is left completely broken, having lost his new wife, his children, and the love of Medea, who once saved him and stood by his side. The previous story, at the end of book 6, tells the the story of Tereus, Procne, and Philomela. This story and Jason and Medea share thematic parallels. Both narratives show themes of betrayal, revenge, transformation, and the tragic consequences intense emotions. Tereus's betrayal of Philomela through rape and mutilation, and Jason's betrayal of Medea by abandoning her for another woman, lead to extreme acts of revenge that result in very tragic outcomes.