Is Andrea Yates Another Medea?

As I've frequently written, the concept of tragedy was invented by Greeks, and an understanding of the inevitability of tragedy is deep in our bones.

The prosecutors in the Andrea Yates case argued that a possible motive for her murder of her five children was to get revenge against her husband for being poor.

To understand Andrea Yates, it might be worthwhile to take another look at the tragic play Medea, written by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides.

As the play opens, Medea's husband, Jason, has told her he's leaving her for another woman. Medea is very depressed, but addresses the chorus of Corinthian women with a feminist speech as follows:

MEDEA

This unexpected blow which has befallen me has broken my heart. It's all over, my friends; I would gladly die. Life has lost its savor. The man who was everything to me, well he knows it, has turned out to be the basest of men. Of all creatures that feel and think, we women are the unhappiest species. In the first place, we must pay a great dowry to a husband who will be the tyrant of our bodies (that's a further aggravation of the evil); and there is another fearful hazard: whether we shall get a good man or bad. For separations bring disgrace on the woman and it is not possible to renounce one's husband. Then, landed among strange habits and regulations unheard of in her own home, a woman needs second sight to know how best to handle her bedmate. And if we manage this well and have a husband who does not find the yoke of intercourse too galling, ours is a life to be envied. Otherwise, one is better dead. When a man wearies of the company of his wife, he goes out doors and relieves the disgust of his heart, having recourse to some friend or companies of his own age, but we women have only one person to turn to.

They say that we have a safe life at home, whereas men must go to war. Nonsense! I had rather fight three battles than bear one child. But be that as it may .... Woman in most respects is a timid creature, with no heart for strife and aghast at the sight of steel; but wronged in love, there is no heart more murderous than hers.

Jason plans to marry the daughter of Creon, the king of Corinth. Creon is aware of Medea's outrage and fears for his daughter's safety. Therefore, King Creon declares a ``restraining order'' against her:

CREON:

You there, Medea, looking black with rage against your husband; I have proclaimed that you are to be driven forth in exile from this land, you and your two sons. Immediately. ... I am afraid of you, afraid you will do my child some irreparable injury. There's plenty of logic in that fear. You are a wizard possessed of evil knowledge. You are stung by the loss of your husband's love. And I have heard of your threats to injure bridegroom and bride and father of the bride. Therefore before anything happens to me, I shall take precautions. Better for me now to be hateful in your eyes than to relent and rue it greatly later.

Medea begs Creon to let her stay just one more day, so that she may complete her preparations to leave. Reluctantly, he agrees, saying ominously, ``Mercy has often been my undoing.'' He leaves, and Medea tells the chorus of her plans.

MEDEA

Do you think I would ever have wheedled the king just now except to further my own plans? ... He is such a fool that though he might have thwarted my plans by expelling me from the country, he has allowed me to stay over for this one day, in which I shall make corpses of three of my enemies, father and daughter, and my own husband. ... Medea, use all your wiles; plot and devise. Onward to the dreadful moment. ... Moreover by our mere nature we women are helpless for good, but adept at contriving all manner of wickedness.

Jason and Medea then have a conversation.

JASON

Despite everything, I come here now with unwearied goodwill, to contrive on your behalf, Madam, that you and the children will not leave this country lacking money or anything else. Exile brings many hardships in its wake. And even if you do hate me, I could never think cruelly of you.

MEDEA

Rotten, that is the word for you. ... I saved your life, as we all know. ... Then, forsaking my father and my own dear ones, I came with you, more than fond and less than wise. I have removed every danger from your path. And after all those benefits at my hands, you basest of men, you have betrayed me and made a new marriage, though I have borne you children.

Jason says she's exaggerating, and also says that he's only doing ``what's best for the children.''

JASON

You are making a mountain out of the favors you have done me. ... In the matter of my rescue, you got more than you gave. ... There remains my wedding with the Princess. In this connection, I shall demonstrate my great service to you and my children. What greater windfall could I have hit upon, I an exile, than a marriage with the king's daughter? Not that I was weary of your charms or that I was smitten with longing for a fresh bride; still less that I wanted to outdo my neighbors in begetting numerous children. No! I wanted to bring up the children in a style worthy of my house, and, begetting other children to be brothers to the children born of you, to bring them all together and unite the families. Then my happiness would be completed. ... Surely that is no bad plan? You yourself would admit it, if jealously were not pricking you. ... There ought to have been some other way for men to beget their children, dispensing with the assistance of women. Then there would be no trouble in the world.

Alone again, Medea explains her plan to the chorus. She will fill a beautiful robe with poison, will have her sons take it to the princess and ask her to put it on. As soon as she does, she will die.

MEDEA

My mistake was in leaving my father's house, won over by the words of a Greek. But, as god is my ally, he shall pay for his crime. Never, if I can help it, shall he behold his sons again in this life. Never shall he beget children by his new bride. She must die by my poisons, die the death she deserves. Nobody shall despise ME or think me weak or passive. Quite the contrary. I am a good friend, but a dangerous enemy. For that is the type the world delights to honor.

So, Medea tells Jason she's sorry, and asks his forgiveness. To prove her change of heart, he offers to have her sons deliver the robe to the princess. He rejoices in her new attitude, and agrees. The boys take the gift to the princess and return to Medea. As she awaits the news of what happens when the princess puts it on, she plans her next step: killing her children.

MEDEA

O the pain of it! Why do your eyes look at me, my children? Why smile at me that last smile? Ah! What can I do? My heart is water, women, at the sight of my children's bright faces. I could never do it. Goodbye to my former plans. I shall take my children away with me. Why should I hurt their father by their misfortunes, only to reap a double harvest of sorrow myself? No! I cannot do it. Goodbye to my plans.

And yet, what is the matter with me. Do I want to make myself a laughing-stock by letting my enemies off scot-free? I must go through with it. What a coward heart is mine, to admit those soft pleas. Come, my children, into the palace. I shall not let my hand be unnerved.

Ah! Ah! Stop, my heart. Do not you commit this crime. Leave them alone, unhappy one, spare the children. Even if they live far from us, they will bring you joy. No! by the unforgetting dead in hell, it cannot be! I shall not leave my children for my enemies to insult. And if die they must, I shall slay them.

O dear, dear hand. O dear, dear mouth, dear shapes, dear noble faces, happiness be yours, but not here. Your father has stolen this world from you. How sweet to touch! The softness of their skin, the sweetness of their breath, my babies! Away, away, I cannot bear to see you any longer. [They leave] My misery overwhelms me. O I do realize how terrible is the crime I am about, but passion overrules my resolutions, passion that causes most of the misery in the world.

Medea learns that the robe has killed the Princess, as well as Creon, who embraced his daughter as she lay on the floor.

MEDEA

I am resolved to act, and act quickly. I can delay no longer, or my children will fall into the murderous hands of those that love them less than I do. In any case they must die. And if they must, I shall slay them, who gave them birth.

The children cry to each other.

ONE CHILD

Ah me! What am I to do? Where can I escape my mother's murderous hands?

THE OTHER

I know not, my dear, dear brother. She is killing us.

And indeed she does. Jason arrives, and learns that his sons are dead. Medea replies to Jason's insults.

MEDEA

You could not hope, nor your princess either, to scorn my love, make a fool of me, and live happily ever after. Now was Creon, the matchmaker, to drive me out of the country with impunity.

Jason begs to bury his dead sons, but Medea refuses even to let him embrace them one final time. He says:

JASON

O Zeus, do you hear how I am repelled, how I am wronged by this foul tigress, that slew her own children? I call upon the gods, I invoke the powers above to bear me witness that you slew my children and now prevent me from embracing their bodies and giving them burial. Would that I never begotten them, to live to see them slain at your hands.

The play ends with Medea using her magical powers to make her planned escape to a foreign land.

[The text of the play was taken from Ten Plays by Euripides, translated by Moses Hadas and John McLean, Bantam Books, 1981. Original copyright in 1936. Euripides lived from 485-406 B.C.]

There is one big difference between Andrea Yates and Medea: Medea got away with her crime, but Andrea Yates did not.