Laurie Qiao
Mrs. Zukowski
English II Class 3
10 December 2014
The Death of the Two Sons
In the case of the City of Corinth versus Medea, some may argue that Medea should be charged with first degree murder in the death of her two sons. She is charged with this because she intentionally killed her children with predetermination (“Murder”). First degree murder is often done in situations out of intense rage, anger, terror, or fear. “First degree murder is often referred to as ‘cold-blooded’ murder because it is calculated and committed willfully with the intention to kill or do serious harm” (“Murder”). In Medea’s case, she did it with anger. Before killing her children, she says “I’ll run. I’ll kill my darling sons, and run” (Euripides). The…show more content… Medea murdered her children purposely as a way to get back at her husband, Jason for cheating on her. This is where her anger to murder came from. Jason betrayed Medea by cheating on her and as a way to get back at him, she betrayed Jason by killing their sons.
Some may argue that the city should reduce the charges against Medea to manslaughter because she is “innocent by reason by insanity.” To be not guilty by reason by insanity means the criminal defendant is “A person accused of a crime [that] can acknowledge that they committed the crime, but argue that they are not responsible for it because of their mental illness, by pleading ‘not guilty by reason of insanity’” (“Insanity Defence”). They may claim that Medea was shot by Cupid’s arrow and grew into a deep affection for Jason because she failed to know the difference between right and wrong and could not control the impulses that controlled her decisions. However this factor is inaccurate because Medea could control her decision making process. When Medea tricked Pelias’ daughters into killing their father, “Medea gave Pelias a