The Quest of the Golden Fleece

Betrayal can be dishonesty, deception, or disloyalty. There is much disloyalty between Medea, a Colchian princess, and her family which is the effect of her passionate love for Jason, a man sent on a quest to get the Golden Fleece to receive his rights as King. Jason, himself also shows much betrayal towards Medea even after all she’s done for him. The story of “The Quest of the Golden Fleece”, exemplifies much betrayal on many levels among the characters. In the story Medea betrays her family both her father and brother. Aetes, King of Colchis, gives Jason as only way he will give him the Golden Fleece is if he can complete the task of plowing a field with dragon’s teeth and two flaming bulls. Aetes himself had encountered this trial and says, “I will give the Fleece to no man less brave than I” (171) and to him he thinks that it is impossible for Jason to do this, but that’s where the help of Medea comes in. Medea, the daughter of Aetes, falls so profoundly in with Jason that she betrays her father.

Medea shows much disloyalty to her father, when she gives Jason a magic ointment to keep him safe throughout the day while he is plowing. She also helps Jason get the Golden Fleece, by charming the serpent guarding the fleece, after her father refused to give it to him even after he did what he was told. She betrays her brother Apsyrtus, in pursuit of getting the fleece back, but in result she kills him. Medea’s love for Jason was so deep that she went against her own family in his favor. Jason, who told Medea “Never by night and never by day will I forget you” (173) and “nothing except death will come between us” (173), betrays her by getting engaged to the King of Corinth’s daughter even after all that she has done for him. She gave him all her love, went against her father, and runs off with him, yet he shows no gratitude.

Medea and her two sons are sent into exile by the King of Corinth, in fear that she would do harm to his daughter. Medea vows revenge on Jason and kills his new bride. She murders giving the princess a gift, and once she wore the gift she was shrouded in fearful fire and she dropped dead. Medea then found another way of revenge, and that was to kill her very own sons. And Jason who was infuriated with what she had done still blamed her and never had he put himself at fault anything that happened.

This ancient myth is one of love and betrayal, and that is portrayed very well among the characters. Betrayal is shown when Medea follows her love with Jason and not the loyalty towards her family. Also Jason perfectly displays an act of betrayal when he leaves Medea and goes off to marry another woman. So the end both Jason and Medea end up alone, both spouseless, without children, and end up in misery. In this story betrayal stands as a reoccurring affair.