By comparing Midas to an Egyptian pharaoh who died very young, hinting that he too will die young and surrounded with gold, Duffy stirs a sense of sympathy from readers felt for Mrs Midas, in turn forcing us think about how cruel something as miraculous as having the 'touch of gold' can really be. .
Duffy closes the poem with Mrs Midas admitting that even after her husband's foolishness and "pure selfishness", she still misses "his hands, his warm hands on [her] skin, his touch". This use of irony is particularly effective, because readers understand that it is Midas' touch that his wife is most afraid of, and yet she longs desperately for his embrace. Duffy cleverly uses this language feature to evoke the reader's sadness which we feel for the couple in the poem. Mrs Midas' life and relationship with her lover have been changed suddenly and against her will, and all because of one thoughtless wish made by Midas. .
Mrs Midas serves not so much to readers as a lesson to be careful about what we wish for as it is an example of how one's choices impacted upon another. In this case the impact is negative, and Duffy highlights that our actions and decisions have repercussions on other people, as much as it has on ourselves. In Medusa, Duffy takes a character from Greek mythology and puts her in a realistic, modern setting. Gorgon monster Medusa is portrayed as a woman becomes obsessively jealous after she develops suspicions that her partner is having affairs with younger women. Medusa is a very powerful and compelling poem, in which Duffy manages to make readers change their feelings about Medusa throughout the piece. .
Initially, the mood is angry and bitter, with Medusa's menacing and intimidating attitude coming through in the first stanza. Medusa's suspicions are compared to "filthy snakes" which "hissed and spat on [her] scalp".
