Betrayal

Betrayal

When looking at the Story Cycles and considering Archetypes, one is more apt to lean towards the Her(o) / ine, than a story filled with betrayal, and yet, interestingly enough, where one finds heroes, there is often an under-belly of betrayal in which the Hero of the story figures.  The Her(o) / inof mythology were made to seem beyond human frailty.  How does Betrayal work into the Story Cycle and Archetype?  This betrayal is what helps to give the Her(o) / ine its humanity, allowing the reader to feel an emotional tie to the characters within the story.  In a sense it is what helps to knock a Her(o) / ine off their pedestal, in order to show they still have the same human frailties as everyone else. The prior week we discussed Creation, its varied myths depending on the culture and how that myth has evolved through time, helping to influence pop culture over the ages, including the modern age.  The Story Cycle always begins with Creation; where it goes from creation depends on the story itself.  Throughout the Story Cycle, just as there will always be a Creator/Creation, there will always be Betrayal.  If the story should take the place of someone's life, you may begin with their conception.  This is the Creation.  Family is the next step.  Somewhere along this life cycle there will be a betrayal, whether it is heartbreak, a letdown at a job, a lie told, or something stolen; whatever the betrayal that is felt in this Story Cycle it will happen and the emotional reaction is natural. Medea felt such a reaction due to Jason's betrayal of her, as shown by Euripides in his play Medea. This enchantress had given up everything she had ever known for the hero of Iolcus, in order to help him obtain his Golden Fleece.  Not only had she defied her father, supplying Jason with the means to defeat her father's tasks in order to obtain the Fleece, but she became his wife and bore him two sons, only to have him spurn her ten years later for a very spoiled princess.  (Jason)  You know the princess's personality in how she reacted to Medea's children when she is presented with the gifts.  Her demeanor is one of disgust and anger at the sight of the children, though Jason tries to change her mood by pointing out the gifts, laying bare her selfish nature. Unfortunately, Medea is unable to bare the betrayal, which is made twice as difficult when Creon visits and proclaims her an exile.  Now Medea is an exile from her father's lands, in which she originated, to which she can never return, having chosen Jason over her own family, a betrayal of itself in the eyes of her father, but King Creon, in whose lands she has lived for the past ten years; throws her out with no further thought, simply because he is afraid of what she may /may not do.  Not what she has done, but of the possibility of what she could do. Interestingly enough, this, I believe, is the turning point for Medea.  Creon had a chance to change things; to choose another path for this story to take.  In a way he set in motion, himself, and everything that takes place in the rest of the story, more so than the betrayal of Jason.  Yes, Jason chose to align himself with the princess, but Jason truly felt he was doing what was noble and right for Medea's future and his children.  He saw this as a way to ensure a better life for all.  Was it egotistical and chauvinistic?  Most assuredly, no one can question that Jason was not considering how his actions would affect those around him.  Creon, on the other hand, held no forethought with his actions, except what might happen.  With his possibilities driving his motives, he in truth caused them to become reality.  There is nothing to say Medea was even contemplating them as a means to an end.  All we know for sure is that Medea was feeling lost and ripped apart.  Everything she was for the past ten years, simply gone.  Who is to say she would not simply have cried for a day or two and simply picked herself up, yelled at Jason, thrown a vase or two at his head and raised their sons in peace, if NOT for Creon's interfering and antagonizing the situation further? MEDEA Ah, me! now is utter destruction come upon me, unhappy that I am! For my enemies are bearing down on me full sail, nor have I any landing-place to come at in my trouble. Yet for all my wretched plight I will ask thee, Creon, wherefore dost thou drive me from the land? CREON I fear thee,-no longer need I veil my dread 'neath words,-lest thou devise against my child some cureless ill. Many things contribute to this fear of mine; thou art a witch by nature, expert in countless sorceries, and thou art chafing for the loss of thy husband's affection. I hear, too, so they tell me, that thou dost threaten the father of the bride, her husband, and herself with some mischief; wherefore I will take precautions ere our troubles come. For 'tis better for me to incur thy hatred now, lady, than to soften my heart and bitterly repent it hereafter. The same feelings could be applied to the stories / myths of Malinche and La Llorona.  In each of these tales women have been betrayed by the opposite sex and their reactions to this betrayal is so profound that it becomes spiritual.  It rips their very essence apart to the point their physical forms are trapped, even beyond death.  Hence the legend of the wailing woman was born.  Two more recent films based on the myth of La Llorona in today's popular culture is "The Cry"from 2007 based in NYC and "The Woman in Black" from 2012.  Is the woman who wanders Mexico City crying O-h-h, my children, the time for our departure draws near? O-h-h-h, my children! Where shall I take you, Malinche?  (Inside Mexico) The tales of Malinche and La Llorona have helped to create and expand pop culture in our Modern Age.  Was Malinche a traitor to her people for loving Cortes, or was it her mother who first enacted a betrayal upon her by selling her into slavery through simple greed.  Should not a mother love her child?  Did not Malinche show loyalty towards her people by wanting peace instead of bloodshed; loyalty towards a family that threw her away?  Loyalty towards a man, whom in the end, married another and kept her simply as a whore; and yet she bore him a son, no different than Medea and Jason. The reason these stories have such longevity is Betrayal is real.  It is not something we can just simply create and fantasize about.  Instead it is a concept of humanity that helps to show how real we can be.  Even the characters in a story can still be attainable.  Take for example Eros and Psyche from Greek Mythology.  Eros (otherwise known as Cupid) was the son of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love.  Psyche was considered the most beautiful of women in her time.  Aphrodite hated that she was considered more beautiful than her.  Eros had accidentally pierced her with one of his arrows, falling in love with her himself.  She experiences her own betrayal due to Psyche not trusting in their love and her own self-doubt, and Eros leaves Psyche.  Aphrodite refuses to help Psyche win her son back, instead setting her to 3 nearly impossible tasks.  Eros hearing what his mother has done to his wife escapes the palace and rescues her, forgiving the betrayal.  Zeus has also heard of Psyche's heroic journeys to win back her husband; therefore he lets her eat ambrosia turning her from mortal to Immortal.  (Eros and Psyche) There are many stories of betrayal throughout mythology.  War is built upon betrayal.  Societies are built upon betrayal.  It is how we came up with such terms as “Trade Secrets.”  When Nixon was brought up on charges for Watergate, the feeling of betrayal which swept an entire nation was all encompassing.  This is why these ancient stories last.  The emotional impact never fades; for we can still feel within today, looking at pictures of 9/11, what it did to us.  The shock, the anger, the hurt, and the loss; it is all there.  Remembering rushing for the phone to check and see if our loved ones were ok.  The story will always continue, but for that day it felt like it came to a shocking stand still. Cite: The myth of Psyche and Eros (Greek Myths Greek Mythology) http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/psyche-and-eros-myth/ Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology: Jason http://www.mythweb.com/encyc/entries/jason.html The Internet Classics Archive | Medea by Euripides http://classics.mit.edu/Euripides/medea.html Galicia, Angelica. "La Llorona One Woman, Many Stories." Inside Mexico. Inside Mexico, 13 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. http://www.inside-mexico.com/la-llorona-one-woman-many-stories-by-angelica-galicia/>.