What is the message of the poem Medusa?

Medusa is both terrifying and sympathetic in the poem, a woman transformed into a monster by her anger over her husband’s affairs. The poem points to the destructive potential of jealousy and rage, and to the way that men use women, only to discard them when they’re no longer young and beautiful.

What kind of poem is Medusa?

‘Medusa’ is a poem in free verse divided into 8 (mostly) equal stanzas. It employs many clever features. It is packed with rhymes and half rhymes which gives the poem an almost musical flow. It contains examples of sibilance (a form of alliteration) It uses tricolons, which are groups of three to emphasise emotions.

How is jealousy presented in the poem Medusa?

In Medusa, Carol ann Duffy presents the character as a very jealous and vengeful woman. She wants revenge. The narrator has a hesitation that her lover is being unfaithful and rude which has she has been cursed and has also made her into a harsh and angry Gorgon.

How does Medusa influence the world today?

In modern culture, Medusa is seen as a powerful symbol of female intelligence and wisdom, related to the goddess Metis, who was a wife of Zeus. The snake-like head is a symbol of her cunning, a perversion of the matrifocal ancient goddess who the Greeks must destroy.

How did goddess Athena teach Medusa a lesson?

Athena was the goddess of wisdom and strategy. She did not appreciate that Medusa and Poseidon were at her temple, but not worshipping her, so Athena turned Medusa into a monster with snake-hair as punishment. Being turned into a monster made Medusa very angry. Medusa would kill whoever she looked at with her stare.

What is the theme of Medusa and Athena?

I think that the moral of Medusa tells us to appreciate others and to think about others as well as yourself. It tells the reader not to make the same mistake as Medusa did, and if you do you will have to pay for it. I think it also tells us to think before you say things.

How does Duffy present ideas about jealousy in Medusa?

What does Medusa symbolize feminism?

The story of Medusa continues to provoke renewed perspectives on its symbolism — including through the lens of feminism and psychoanalysis. From a feminist perspective, Medusa’s story seems a cautionary tale of the symbolic decapitation of women and a loss of one’s power.

What is the moral of Medusa and Athena story?

What lesson did Medusa teach?

In examining the myth of Athena and Medusa further, the story also seems to be a suggestive fable, slyly teaching women how to look out for and protect one another in a society dominated by men, where rape is a constant threat. Athena was aware of Poseidon’s hunger for Medusa and knew of Medusa’s vow of celibacy.

Is Medusa beautiful?

Medusa was a beautiful woman who was raped, killed and beheaded by various gods. However even in the face of tragedy and disgrace, the Medusa was portrayed as meaningful. Following the moment her head was removed, a Pegasus flew out of her body, representing the birth of beauty.

What is the tone of the poem Medusa?

The poem has a dark, almost gothic tone (no surprise with a title like ‘Medusa’) but is also tragic and Duffy skillfully creates sympathy for a character that could easily just be considered to be hideous in nature.