The Scholar Bewitched: Interpretations of Apollonius' Medea in Academic Discourse

Abstract

This thesis examines the various interpretations of Apollonius of Rhodes' Medea made by four living scholars. Chapter One looks at the work of the American scholar Charles Rowan Beye, focusing on his analysis of Medea in Epic and Romance, published in 1982. Chapter Two critiques the portrayal of Medea by the American James Clauss in his 1997 article, "Conquest of the Mephistophelian Nausicaa: Medea's Role in Apollonius' Redefinition of the Epic Hero". The analyses of the Australian-born scholar, Richard Hunter are examined in Chapter Three, with his 1987 article — "Medea's Flight: the Fourth Book of the Argonautica" - operating as the main point of discussion. Chapter Four focuses upon the American scholar Mary Margolies DeForest's depiction of Medea in her 1994 book Apollonius' Argonautica: A Callimachean Epic. Subsequent chapters naturally build upon earlier ones. Beye and DeForest favour a psychological approach to the figure of Medea, and ultimately assert her to be the "hero" of the epic. Throughout his substantial body of work, however, Beye's definition of Medea's role within the poem is subject to change; she is given greater prominence in his later works. Clauss and Hunter employ a more literary approach, as they predominantly examine her figure through an intertextual analysis, although Clauss does emphasise the "sinister" side of Medea's "character". In contrast to Beye and DeForest, Clauss contends that Jason is the true hero of the epic and that Medea operates as a "helper-maiden". Hunter for the most part refrains from passing judgement upon either Medea's "character" or her role within the Argonautica. The thesis looks at how information can be variously selected and presented and how scholars utilise the text to support their differing theories. The conclusion examines some of the factors which may have contributed to the diverse approaches and deductions of the scholars. Ultimately, what is clearly illustrated is the elusive nature of Medea's figure and her refusal to conform to any one definition.