The infanticide in the light of emotions in Euripides’ Medea

• Autor(a) principal: Portansky, Thais
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Classica (Sociedade Brasileira de Estudos Clássicos. Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revista.classica.org.br/classica/article/view/1047
• topic: infanticide; emotions; anger; hatred; Medea; Euripides.; infanticídio; emoções; raiva; ódio; Medeia; Eurípides.

This article discusses the infanticide committed by Medea in Euripides’ homonymous play considering the representation of the character’s emotions throughout the plot. Moments before the filicide, Medea utters a monologue in which she debates whether to proceed with the act or spare the lives of her children (1021-80). This critical moment in the play has already been read as the emblem of the split between reason (βούλευμα) and emotion (θυμός) that would permeate this Euripidean tragedy. However, to understand what moves Medea to commit infanticide, it is necessary to analyze her speeches. Thus, based on the Aristotelian approach to the emotions and the work of David Konstan (2006), it is argued that, instead of being taken by rage, Medea becomes convinced that the death of her children is necessary to repair the injustice and damage that Jason inflicts on her by breaking the φιλία once established by their wedding.