1. Medea is driven by her emotions, like Achilles was. When they were betrayed by the people that should have been gracious to them, both were consumed with anger and committed atrocious acts. Achilles wished for the death of his friends, fellow Greeks, by the Trojans so they would see that he was needed, and then desecrated Hector’s body. Medea had inflicted a horrible death on the princess and her father, and then unforgivably killed her own children. At this point their paths diverge. Achilles can somewhat make up for his act by returning the body to Hector’s father, however, Medea would not listen to reason and in no way can make up for killing her children. Not to mention the previous killings of her brother and father. Which brings up the difference in the Achilles had very close ties to his mother and father, while Medea didn’t allow familial connections to deter her actions.

Both hurt themselves in their stubbornness, though they do get the revenge that they are seeking. Continuously refusing to fight, even when all of his friends are wounded, he ends up losing Petroclus. Medea, in order to get ultimate revenge, kills her own children even though it grieves her, too.

But going back to their raging emotions, I think it is important to point out that Medea was very intelligent and cunning. She was angry but not in a fiery passion like Achilles, she was cool and calculating. She had a plan laid out, she manipulated Jason and the King, and she found a way to escape. Achilles did not have much of a plan other than rage, wait, and ask for his mother’s assistance.

Both had some relation with a god that aided them. Achilles had his mother in addition to the favor of the gods. Medea was the granddaughter of Helios, who helped her escape. Both are blessed in power, Medea in sorcery and Achilles in strength and speed. Medea is a foreigner though, where Achilles is Aegean and is a king with rights. However, even as a foreigner she was well respected by the men and women of Greece because she was intelligent.

I cannot relate Medea as a hero, but I also could not see Achilles a hero, either. In terms of Greek heroes, I think Medea fits. She was clever and that trait allowed her to overcome her grievances and come out on top, even though she hurt herself in the process.

2. I think Job did not push for an answer because God did answer him. God reminded Job that He created everything, is all knowing, and is in control. His answer asserts that we will never know God’s reasons and we should not expect to, that is the basis of having faith. God sees what we cannot; we have to trust him in his vision. So while we may question why things happen to us, we may never know because it in a cause or effect for the future.

I am satisfied with the answer, but perhaps it is biased from my personal beliefs. Maybe naïve, but I think that things happen for a reason. I cannot know what will happen in the next hour or day, but I have faith that there is a plan and as far as I’m concerned, I have always seen things work out for the best.