Medea and Hedda Gabler Essay -- Theatre

The materialistic wants of people often lead them to act in imprudent ways. This is especially true in the cases of Jason and George Tesman, main characters from the plays of Medea and Hedda Gabler, who display the folly of blindly adhering to aesthetic standards. (In this essay, an aesthetic standard is the placement of value on worldly goods and sensationalistic feeling). Acting on much(prenominal) a standard creates a tunnel vision that limits ones thoughts and prevents one from seeing anything other than that which is directly beneficial. This tunnel vision inhibits Jason and George Tesman from perceiving reality as it is and holds them captive to their own specious view of events. Furthermore, it negatively affects their lives as well as those of others. As seen through the characters of Jason and George Tesman, aesthetic standards can lock ones mind into a box with no key.The play Medea opens with the revelation that Jason, a Greek explorer, has left his wife Medea for anothe r woman. This infidelity is the primary example of Jasons distorted principles and symbolizes the strong influence aesthetic standards have over his life. One needs only to read Jasons debate with Medea to understand Jasons blindness. maculation on his quest for the golden fleece, an event that occurred prior to the play, Jason sought Medeas help to vanquish obstacles that impeded his wanted goal. When Medea mentions this incident during their dispute, Jason replies My view is that Cyprus was alone responsible of men and gods for preserving my life. You are clever enough-but on this question of saving me, I can prove you have certainly got more from me than you gave (Euripides 17). Jason is so flog by his own emotions that he stoically believes a lie to ... ...esmans failure to recognize Heddas devilish character, there is not even a manuscript acknowledging the life of Eilert Lovborg. This can all be attributed to the fact that George was subject to whimsical emotional desires. The blinding power of aesthetic standards is a defining, if not understandably visible, theme in both the plays of Medea and Hedda Gabler. Both the authors, Euripides and Ibsen, bring the subject to a new light through the characters of Jason and George Tesman. Although the plays were written for people of a certain era, their pass is timeless. The act of impulse must be replaced by the thought of careful understanding, a lesson one can take into reality from tales of fiction. Works CitedEuripides. Medea. Trans. Rex Warner. New York capital of Delaware Publications, Inc. 1993.Ibsen, Henrik. Hedda Gabler. New York Dover Publications, Inc. 1990