Medea (Seneca) Imagery

Medea (Seneca) Imagery

Men

Among the most important images which appear in the play is that of men as untrustworthy. This is one of the most common images in the play and through this, men are seen as beings interested only in their own well-being and who do not care if they hurt someone in the process. The men in the play believe they are entitled to behave like this for the simple reason they are men and this makes then be hated by other people close to them.

Marriage

One of the main characters, Jason, is ready to get married to a princess even though he is already married to Medea and has two children with her. Marriage is not portrayed in this context in an extremely positive way but rather seen as a burden and something which should be avoided. The characters know they are forfeiting their freedom by getting married but they still decide to go forth with it.

The role of a woman

While men are portrayed as being extremely powerful and free to do what they want, women are portrayed as being completely powerless. They are seen as being incapable of taking care of themselves and the male characters see them as having the obligation to do everything they are told without saying anything and disagreeing. Even other women belive their fellow women should suffer in silence and not disagree with the men in their lives. This portrays women as being extremely powerless and unable to stand up for themselves.

The power of the king

The power a king possessed is portrayed in the fourth scene of the play when the King orders Medea to leave the city or else he will not hesitate to kill her. The king has the power to decide who has the right to stay in the city and also who should live and who should die. The power a king has is seen as being absolute and no one is able to stand up against him without having to suffer dire consequences.

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