In Medea's story, her cruelty is first seen by the audience to be triggered by Jason's (her husband) cruel behaviour towards her. Jason knew of the sacrifices she committed in order to be with him, but still felt no moral obligation to stay with her, leaving their marriage for a princesses hand. In doing so, Medea has no one to comfort her, stuck in a foreign land where she is subject to complacent perception, and worse yet, no previous life to seek refuge. It is in this light that some take the drama's message to be that an eye for an eye is justified, as her revenge against Jason leaves him also without a leg to stand on. However, the actions of Medea not only depict the vengeance built up in her heart, but also reflect her emotions. Being a passionate woman, who has strong morals towards matrimony and respect, the fact that Medea is driven by her emotions creates an interesting inquiry. Throughout the drama, many of her actions are prompted by character traits and emotions that may, or may not have, arisen due to revenge. (Fraden. Davis 2001, p.13) Examining why Medea acts the way she does gives a good indication of the implications of becoming vengeful. .
The greatest moment of physical cruelty is displayed as Medea decided to kill her children. Not only were her intentions misaimed, but they were also guided by her blinding love of revenge. Like an addiction or first love, her purpose of making Jason suffer as she did overwhelms any sentimental attachment she may have with her children, as she begins to see only in black and white. The reason why her passions run so deep for Jason is that she once loved him, and foresaw living out the rest of her life with him and their children, however her lovers intentions were far from recipient. The moral cruelty she is forced to endure from Jason's deception is a large factor in her decision to kill her own children, however other elements such as pride play their part.