Medusa: Victim or Villain? | Monstrum

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With her dramatic serpentine hair, and powerful petrifying gaze, Medusa has been a prominent figure in literature and art for thousands of years. One of three Gorgon sisters, she’s been worshipped and feared in almost equal measure. Medusa once served as a symbol of protection, but became a sign of vice and seduction. In this episode you’ll learn the different variations of this snake-haired woman’s origin story from 8th century BC to 19th-century poetry and even modern films. I know what you’re thinking: ‘I know Medusa. I’ve seen the movies.’ But do you really? Watch to find out! #medusa #gorgon #MonstrumPBS

Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Stephanie Noone
Illustrator: Samuel Allen
Editor:
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Adam, Alexander. Classical biography: exhibiting alphabetically the proper names, with a short account of the several deities, heroes, and other persons, mentioned in the ancient classic authors; and a More Particular Description of the Most Distinguished Characters among the Romans; the Whole being Interspersed with Occasional Explanations of Words and Phrases. Designed chiefly to contribute to the illustration of the Latin classics. 1800.

DeLong, Anne. Mesmerism, Medusa, and the Muse : The Romantic Discourse of Spontaneous Creativity, 2012.

Homer. The Iliad : A New Translation by Peter Green. University of California Press, 2015.

Homer. The Odyssey. University of Michigan Press, 2002.

Homer. The odyssey of Homer. Translated by Alexander Pope, Esq. Vol. 3, 1760.

Indiana Masterpiece Editions: Dante's Inferno, the Indiana Critical Edition, edited by Dante Alighieri. Indiana University Press, 1995.

Kaplan, Matt. The Science of Monsters: The Origins of the Creatures We Love to Fear. Scribner, 2012.

Leerning, David. Medusa: In the Mirror of Time. 2013.

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Oxford University Press, 2005.

Ovid. Metamorphoses. Trans. Rolfe Humphries, 1983.

Silverman, Doris K. “Medusa: Sexuality, Power, Mastery, and Some Psychoanalytic Observations,” Studies in Gender and Sexuality .Vol. 17, No. 2: 114-125 (2016).

Wilk, Stephen R. Medusa : Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon, 2000.

[jonwashburn]

I always felt bad for Medusa in the second myth. Gets raped then gets punished for it.

[ExoticFireGirl]

I always felt sad for Medusa. Her story is wild.

[rylanbaker]

Imagine a Medusa as a snake with a whole bunch of tiny humans on its head

[randomppl]

“Why would I apologize for being a monster? Has anyone ever apologize for turning me into one?”
— Suzuya Juuzuo (Tokyo Ghoul)

[alondrita]

I still feel bad.
Selfish heroes were desperate for her head when she was clearly in isolation, and away from everyone.
People came to her, and they got what they deserved.
She wasn't going around the planet just kinda stoning everyone in her path.

[LaineyBug]

I've heard a version where she was so beautiful that Poseidon wasn't the only one that couldn't keep his hands off her, so Athena empowered her instead of punishing her, so she would't have to be helpless against the men anymore. Then she got too powerful for the male god's comfort, so they had her killed.

[seifixnetwork]

Medusa is Innocent and a victim because:

Why would someone seek for her head while she was living isolated from humans?

Medusa never go to humans places to turn them into stones?

[otakuribo]

hair stylist: 💇
snakes: 🐍😰‼️
Medusa: just a shampoo and style please
snakes: 🐍🥰

[poulomi__hari]

What if Medusa is a metaphor for a beautiful woman, who became a tough, resentful woman after being raped and traumatized, and that she gave death stares to any man who tried to cross her.

[cutewolfcub]

I thought that Medusa's stare, turning one into stone, was symbolic for fear. When one feels fear, or if one is paralyzed with fear, a fear-like gaze SO powerful that one look at her can turn any living creature into stone.

[emilymann]

there’s also the idea that Athena gave her the power to turn men into stone as a form of defense after she was r*ped, so she would never be assaulted again

[ness]

She never deserve this, the whole story was just sad. I blame Posideon

[mypal]

I'd lean towards victim turned villain. She uses her powers of petrification to turn men to stone out of malice after her painful transformation.

[cramerfloro]

She became so popular that Ovid wrote her a tragic backstory.
I see fandoms never change.

[timothymatthews]

For the Goddess of wisdom, that's pretty stupid to punish the victim.

[johnmatthewcrane]

When I was in Middle School I devoured Greek mythology. Couldn’t get enough of it. When I read Medusa’s story, immediately I was struck by the grievous cruelty of what happened to her & it made me feel some empathy for her.

[billkotsarinis]

Fun fact: Medusa's snakes are a spesies of greek vipers witch is the most venomus in the country

[fennxfox]

My favorite one is that Athena turned Medusa into a gorgon to protect her from Poseidon. That’s the only one where they’re both heroes and I appreciate that idea

[brelonwy]

One thing people should note is: The story of her being a victim was written after her origins were already established. While the story of her being cursed is an interesting take, it's not her real story. Medusa was born a gorgon and she died a gorgon, though she was the only one of her sisters to be mortal. The author of her reboot wrote about Medusa in that way because his daughter had caught the eye of an emperor (or some higher up) who took her and married her. That story was more or less his attempt at revenge.
But if you enjoy that take on Medusa then that's fine, it's just not the "real" origins of Medusa

[绕建凯]

Fun fact: You're not on fullscreen