While Jason is a close candidate for “greatest suffering character”, naturally Medea takes the cake. From what I could tell from the Nurse account Medea has always had deviant mindset. While helping Jason acquire the Golden Fleece, she had a role in the murder of King Pelias by convincing his daughters to boil him alive. Also during their escape she had killed her own brother Aspyrtus to slow down their pursuers. But it wasn’t till Medea learned of Jason’s betrayal & intentions to marry King Creon’s daughter Glauce, she devises a plan to kill everything Jason has worked for & loved. “Aaah The pain that I have suffered, Ive suffered so much, worth oceans of weeping. O children, accursed, may you die – with your father! Your mother is hateful. Go to hell, the whole household! Every last one.” (Lines 116-119) “May a fire-bolt from heaven come shoot through my skull! What do I gain from being alive? Oh god how I long for the comfort of death. I hate this life how I wish I could leave it.” (Lines 146-150) Theses quotes represent Medea’s first cries of anger & despair. You can only imagine the level of pain & hate she endures when a mother curses her own offspring. Later in the passage the Nurse asks her why blame the children, when obviously the father is to blame, she doesn’t respond. She even shows elements of suicide in her banter, noted in the second quotation. “Of all the living creatures with a soul and mind, we women are the most pathetic. First of all we have to buy a husband. Spend vast amounts of money just to get a master for our body. And the stakes could not be higher! Will you get a good husband or a bad one? If a woman leaves her husband, then she loses her virtuous reputation” (Lines 231-239) “We must rely on one soul. They say we lead safe, untroubled lives at home while they do battle with the spear. They’re wrong. I’d rather take my stand behind a shield 3 times than go through