Between Revenge and Forgiveness: Psychoanalysis of The Main Characters in Euripides’ Medea and in Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman -Comparative Study-

Abstract

This study deals with the psychoanalysis of each of the main characters: Medea by Euripides and Helen in Diary of a Mad Black Woman by Tyler Perry. This study is about the way women in both of the stories revenge. All the violence and terror in Medea is caused by Jason’s betrayal of his wife. Her sheer rage at his unfaithfulness drives her to commit horrific acts of bloody revenge. Ironically; Medea’s fury at her husband’s betrayal drives her to the use of trickery and manipulation, which is really just another form of betrayal. Medea shows how and when one person betrays another, All may be corrupted. However; Helen in Diary of a Mad Black Woman gives women a new vision on how to deal with relational pain and betrayal and how wounded people can be healed in a healthy emotional space somewhere between pained acceptance and soul-destroying rage before eventually learning to trust again.