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Natalya Sparks
Sabot
English II
20 September 2015
The Portrayal of Medusa
Medusa is one of three Gorgons. They are all sisters but Medusa is the only one who was
mortal. Medusa was a beautiful girl until Poseidon raped her in a temple of Athene. The goddess
became angry at the violation of the holiness of her temple and turned Medusa into a hideous
monster. Perseus later killed her (Medusa). From the earliest Greek myths, Medusa has been a
monster (Root). However, in more recent times, Medusa has come to be celebrated, and even
embraced. Throughout time, Medusa has been portrayed in different ways.
The most classic portrayal of Medusa is that of her being a monster who turns anyone
who looked at her into stone. She is covered with impenetrable scales and has snakes crowning
her head rather than hair. She also often appears with a snout, tusks, and horns or wings. By
some, her blood is believed to have created the coral reef of the red sea and all of the snakes in
Africa by others (Medusa in Myth and Literary History). Because of Poseidon, Medusa had two
children, Pegasus, the winged horse, and Chrysaor, father of the monster Geryon, who both
sprang out of her body when she was killed. When Medusa was killed, Perseus cut off her head,
which retained its power, and used it to turn his enemies into stone.
In the 5th century B.C., Medusa was portrayed as beautiful and as an innocent victim of
Poseidons actions. She is more normal, with her only non-human features being wings. This lets
the audience sympathize with her more. They can also sympathize more with this version
because Medusas sisters are a bigger part of this myth, and they are told to have mourned the

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death of their beloved sister. This version is told with Athena being jealous of Medusa or with
Perseus cutting off her head so he never has to be away from it (Wallace). Ovid stated that she
was irresistible to whoever encountered her (Mancini). Some have celebrated her charm and the
beauty of her hair (Medusa in Myth and Literary History).
Medusa can also represent female fury. Feminists have used her face as a symbol of their
own rage in a world of physical violence against women and patriarchy. From Medusa we can
learn how to show ourselves in a way that repels men when necessary. She teaches life-saving
information about fury (The Medusa Reader). Her rage is in everyone. If people use it, it can be a
source of strength (Orodenker). Many people are actually attracted to her rather than repelled.
Yet another portrayal is Medusa being an embodiment of power, whether she is dead or
alive. This can be seen in many different stories. For example, when Medusa died, Athena saved
some of her blood and gave it to Asclepius, the god of healing. Blood from her left side was
deadly but blood from her right side could bring the dead back to life (Glenn). Even in some
Greek cultures, Medusa was not seen as a monster. Instead, her and her three sisters were
worshiped as protective demons who scared evil spirits away from the community (Medusa).
After Medusa died, anyone who looked at her would be turned to stone. It was for this reason
that Greeks often had her image on their armor (Medusa, in Greek Mythology).
The interpretation of Medusa's story depends on the culture and experiences of the person
hearing it. It shows what they value or believe in. To the Greeks, Medusa was a monster. This
shows how rape was more common and acceptable in Greek culture, and how they took a man's
word over a woman's, because Medusa was punished for being raped, and they took Poseidon's
word over Medusas. Medusa being beautiful or representing power shows how these things are
no longer tolerated, and possibly how your mistakes dont have to define your future, and how

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your flaws don't define you or your life, because Medusa being turned into and looking like a
monster doesnt mean that she is all bad. Medusa has been portrayed differently throughout time,
and will be again in the future.

Works Cited
Glenn, Justin M. "Medusa." World Book Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.
Mancini, John. "Pursuing the Gorgon Medusa." Classical Wisdom Weekly. N.p., 16 July
2014. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.

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"Medusa." Infobase Learning. Facts on File, 2015. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

"Medusa, in Greek Mythology." EBSCOhost. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.
"Medusa in Myth and Literary History." Modern American Poetry. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept.
2015.
Orodenker, Judith. "The Voice of the Goddess: The Reemergence of the Archetypal Divine
Feminine." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
Root, Ileen Brennan. "Redeeming the Gorgon: Reclaiming the Medusa Function of Psyche."
Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
The Medusa Reader." Google Books. Ed. Marjorie Garber and Nancy J. Vickers. N.p., n.d.
Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
Wallace, Sarah Bernice. "The Changing Faces of Medusa." Reinvention: An International
Journal of Undergraduate Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.