By Reason of Insanity

By Matthew Patterson

Good, she's finally come out of the house. She even has friends over! I'm glad she's taking this so well; I really didn't intend her any harm. "Look," I hear a neighbor say, "Your husband has a new wife now. You must accept it." Such wise advice these Corinthian women give!

She notices me, and I can see the change in her mood. Her face loses all its pleasant curves and becomes hard as stone. Her icy eyes bore into mine. Well, I am Jason, once of the Argo, future king of Corinth. I fear no evil. Let her be angry. I shall point out her mistakes. I only pray that her mind has unclouded enough to accept reason.

"I have seen you do this often, Medea. Every time you work yourself into a frenzy like this, something awful happens, and you only have yourself to blame." At this, her eyes fly open, and she steps toward me and moves as if to speak. I interrupt her, saying, "You could have stayed here, you know, if you'd just submitted to the king's and my rightful authority. I tried as hard as I knew how to help you behave, but you didn't, and now you're banished. Don't blame me when I tried to help you." Now she throws her head back and laughs in my face. Laughs at me, when I have done nothing but help her! Still, to show my continuing goodwill, I continue. "However, even though we are no longer wed, you are still my cherished friend whom I will not desert. I come to see that you and the children will be provided for in your exile. You may hate me, but I will never harm you." Now she stops less than a foot away, and raises her hand as if to stroke my face. I step back, conscientious of my oaths. My words may have rekindled her love for me, but unlike most husbands, I know something of fidelity. My princess will never catch me with another!

Her fingers clench into a fist, and shaking, she lowers it to her side and turns away from me. The poor woman, stricken so by her love! She speaks quietly, forcing me to step closer to hear her. "When first we met, I saved you from the fire-breathing bulls. I secured the Golden Fleece for you. I deceived my father and my country for you. I killed King Pelias and ruined his entire family so I could be with you! I came to this foreign land of Corinth, where I am feared by everyone, because you wished it." Her voice rises up now. Surely she must be about to declare that her love for me still burns. "And now you come here and have the UNMITIGATED GALL --" she suddenly screams, turning around and flinging out her arms so as to force me back "-- to tell me that I am no longer your wife, and you would cast out the children and me like a soiled rag? Do you think Zeus, in whose name you swore your marriage oath, no longer pays attention to human affairs? You must know that you are guilty of lying to me and the gods!" By this time, she has forced me halfway across the courtyard, continuing to scream such vile imprecations. Surely this is not my sweet Medea whom I have loved! Some demon or evil spirit must have infected her heart!

She continues, not even looking at me, flailing in ten directions at once. "You want to be friends? Fine, I'll talk to you as if you were a friend! Where would you have me go now that I am an exile? Back to my country? Because I loved *you* so, I HAVE no more country! My father's house is ruined! To Iolcus, to seek refuge with the daughters of Pelion? I'm sure they'd welcome me; I only KILLED THEIR FATHER!" Her left hand drops to her side, where rests a pouch of some herb. Her right moves in aimless patterns in the air. Is she preparing some foul spell? I never understood her strange foreign mysticism. I must stop her before she taints herself with dark magic.

"Wait one moment, Medea, and look at the situation. You chose to leave your father's house because I showed you the glories and civilization of Athens. You saved me from circumstances, this is true, but are you forgetting what you received for those services? Justice, civilization, the rule of law, the worship of the gods? Here they recognize and respect your gifts of magic, instead of fear them like they did in your country." I have given her so much by bringing her here! She has all these advantages, living in the civilized center of the world! Why can't she see that? "Furthermore, I was wise to marry Princess Glauce! The gods will not punish me for protecting my own, even if I am a perjurer!" Oh, that really gets under her skin. Her arm flashes up to strike me across the face, but quick as a snake, I seize her wrist and force her to listen. "Quiet, woman, and let me speak! We came here as exiles from Iolcus, without influence or stature. The King's daughter welcomed me and took me in. You are all the wife I will ever need, and I love my sons as myself. The most important thing is to live well, for we all know how the poor are shunned. Marrying the princess means that YOUR SONS and I will never be looked down on again!"

She spits, actually spits! "And how do you think they will be looked at now, exiled with their poor mother!"

"That is no fault of mine," I respond. "You need no more children, do you? I worked to better the ones I have. You were the one so intent on keeping me that you let them suffer!" How could she do that to my sons? Now they must suffer in exile with her. I would do anything to have them back, but the King is not to be questioned in matters of security. If only she could be reasonable, they would be spared. I have to make her see what I see. I release her, push her away, and try to calm down. "Was I really wicked, then? You can't see past your own sex life! When everything goes well there, you think all's right with the world. Let one thing go wrong, and everything is evil. If only we could have children without women! We'd have all of the good, and none of the bad."

One of her neighbors breaks her silence, daring to speak to me in my fury. "Jason, I applaud your logic and reason." Well, of course! What sane person wouldn't? "However, you are still wrong to abandon Medea."

Medea seizes on this, as I knew she would. She has this insane need for society to approve of her, make her the focus of everything. Loftily, she turns her head to them and says, "Surely, I differ from most women in any ways. To me, an evil man who speaks well is the most guilty, because he knows he can commit murder and get away with it." Turning to me now, she resumes her tirade. "You dare come to me and act civilized now? If you were honest, you'd have persuaded me to accept this, not gone behind my back."

Fury has obviously dulled her senses. "Oh, and I suppose you'd have called it an excellent idea if I had done so! Look, even now that I am reasoning with you, you will not calm down! I say this again, Medea: I did this for you and for the children. You cursed the King and his house; now you are banished. If there is something I can provide for you or for the children, tell me." And again, the woman shakes her head and laughs! This is no amused laugh, but a harpy's cackle. I check my side and reassure myself that my sword is still in ready position. "Well, fine. If you ever get over your rage, you'll realize that you have everything to gain. I call the gods and you good women of Corinth --" here I sweep out my arms, encompassing the whole company in a grand gesture worthy of my enlightened status "-- to witness that I have offered nothing but help to you. I now leave you to your fate."

I turn to go, striding rather impressively out the gate of our home. Even now, she shouts after me, "Fate sends ME as a curse on your house, adulterer! Go, enjoy your new bride! I swear on Zeus that this your marriage day will end with marriage lost and nothing but horror left!"

What a creepy woman! I take my seat on my horse and depart, the clattering of hooves obscuring the rest of her curses. Even under my armor, the vulnerable spot between my shoulders itches. I shift uncomfortably and hope she has no skill with the throwing-dagger. I pray her magic cannot hurt me or my bride in my new home.

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