Satisfaction and Turmoil in Medea and the Twenty-third Psalm
We are all familiar with the Bible and its contents in general, yet a few individuals know it better than others. The twenty-third Psalm in particular is one that some know by heart. Then, there are those of us that are fascinated with other ancient histories and literatures. Medea is one such literature that illustrates the classical Greek culture of the day. These two literary works come across as strikingly different, and their disparity can be attributed to the authors' different styles and the different ethical beliefs that lie behind the works. The twenty-third Psalm soothes the reader with gentle language whereas Euripides' play somewhat irritates the reader's emotions with its diction and flow of events.
The first line in the Psalm is "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." This clearly emphasizes a very important point: the fact that "I", being whoever reads this, will never have to concede to desire. The language is as plain as it can get; this point cannot be conveyed in any simpler form. However in Medea we see a nearly total opposite view. "What profit have I in life? I have no land, no home, no refuge from my pain" (782-3). Although this statement also uses "I" as its subject like the Psalm, its focus is clearly that life's purpose is to live for a profit and self-satisfaction. The Psalm uses the word "shepherd" to symbolize a feeling of security, while the line from Medea speaks of "no refuge from my pain." This shows us that the speaker does not know that such a "shepherd" even exists, as does the peaker in the Psalm. The diction in Medea from this line also paints a picture of frustration while the Psalm applies a mood of satisfaction. This is just one of many places where we sense frustration in Eurpides' play.
Medea makes the statement, "I weep to think of what a deed I have to do next after that; for I shall kill my own children" (775-6). This line is very powerful in that the speaker is telling the reader of her plans, which are utterly gruesome. It seems as though she has only a little remorse for what she plans to do, because she makes her plans sound so straightforward while only claiming that she will simply "weep" for her actions.