The Failure of Forever: Inevitability and Erasure in Euripides’ Medea James Van Eaton College

The scattered leaves of the great tree shivered a sound of wind through rotted sail, and from some immense crevice near the tree’s considerable base, a serpentine shadow of midnight scale and flashing fang poured rapidly forth to surge across the broken stone. Its twisting form worked a sinuous pattern against the unsettled earth as black eyes gleamed beneath the hood of its heavily armored, thrice-horned head. Swaying with uneasy grace, the serpent encircled the great tree’s massive trunk before seeking its lower branches, where hung the Golden Fleece. Jason stood ready with sword and shield, but no sooner had he stepped to battle then the serpent attacked. Screeching blind hatred it struck at the hero’s shield, battering it carelessly aside. Then, in what seemed no time at all, the serpent swung back around, unhinged its great jaws, and swallowed Jason whole.

Medea, spurred by sudden grief to sickly rage, darted eyes to Jason’s fallen sword, but had no time to claim it. Instead, as the coiling serpent fixed its deadly gaze upon her and prepared another strike, Medea caught at something within her robe. With an agonized cry she swept a scattering arc of blue-gray dust at the creature’s onrushing charge. In an instant, the the...