Medea & Scarlet Witch: When a Mother's Love Turns Deadly

I studied Medea in a course I took for university, since then, I’ve noticed that there is nothing greater than the anger and grief of a mother. A character besides Medea showcasing this is Marvel’s Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff). These two women, though separated by centuries, and emerging from two entirely different forms of media, share strikingly similar arcs. Both powerful, both betrayed, both driven to the brink of madness by loss of children. As we delve into their characters we see the consequences of unchecked emotions, and the fine line between victim and villain.

The never-ending madness of maternal grief: Both women’s undoing was their relationship with their children, it’s evident in the way their love transforms into a dangerous thing. Medea and Scarlet Witch don’t just grieve their children but go mad for them. While Medea used her children as a weapon to inflict the ultimate suffering on her unfaithful husband, Wanda caused pain to countless others in a desperate attempt to reunite with hers. Medea killed her children for vengeance, Wanda killed many for maternal love.

This begs the question: does this make them villains or victims? Anyone would feel bad for a woman who has been cheated on, or a woman who lost her husband. A crucial similarity between these two women is the blurred line between villain and victim. Both are sympathetic figures; Medea was wronged by Jason, and Wanda was devastated by loss, but their actions push them into monstrous territory. The line between villain and victim is blurred because both women are shaped by forces outside their control.

Medea is not merely a vengeful sorceress; she is a woman in a deeply patriarchal society who has been stripped of everything, including her identity and agency. Her power is the only thing that remains, and she wields it in a way that ensures she is not discarded like a used pawn. Killing her children is a horrifying act, but it is also a reminder to Jason that he cannot take everything from her without consequence. In contrast, Wanda does not see herself as a villain until it is too late. While Medea accepts the horror of her actions as the price of revenge, Wanda clings to the belief that she is justified, that is until she is faced with the fear in her children’s eyes.

This distinction makes their arcs diverge: Medea embraces her villainy as a means of survival, while Wanda is destroyed by the realization that she has become the very force of destruction she once fought against. Neither woman is purely evil, but both prove that suffering, when left unchecked, can turn even the most loving mother into something unrecognizable.

On the subject of power, it seems to be a curse instead of a gift for both of them. A curse that isolates them rather than bring them salvation. Instead, they act as double-edged swords, ensuring that neither woman can return to the life she once had. Medea uses her powers to ensure that she is untouchable, escaping in a divine chariot sent by her grandfather, Helios. This moment is not just a physical departure; it is an assertion of dominance. She does not beg for forgiveness or show remorse, in fact, she taunts Jason from above, reveling in the agony she has inflicted. Her magic does not serve to atone but to elevate her beyond consequence. She remains untouchable, both physically and emotionally, refusing to let grief or guilt weaken her. Her power does not consume her; it shields her.

Wanda, in stark contrast, is utterly destroyed by the realization of what she has become. Unlike Medea, who clings to her power as a means of control, Wanda sees her own power as the source of unimaginable devastation. When she gazes into the eyes of her alternate-universe children and sees their terror, or rather, sees herself through their eyes, she does not escape. She does not seek refuge. She does not try to justify what she has done. Instead, she turns her power inward, and instead of flying away on a chariot, Wanda crumbles down under Mount Wundagore’s rubble. While Medea’s magic carries her away from consequence, Wanda’s magic becomes her grave. She recognizes that her unchecked grief has turned her into something monstrous, and rather than live with that reality, she annihilates herself. In the end, their power does not bring them happiness, it only cements their fates; in complete exile.

In the end, Medea and Scarlet Witch are testaments to the devastating power of grief. How love, when twisted by loss, can drive even the most devoted mothers to unthinkable extremes. Both women cross a line that cannot be undone. Medea never falters, never questions her choices, while Wanda is ultimately shattered by the realization of what she has become. One embraces her darkness, the other crumbles beneath it. But their stories, though tragic in different ways, pose the same haunting question: how far can grief push a person before they lose themselves entirely?

Thank you for reading. This article is especially dedicated to my wonderful professor, Dr. Andrew Power, thank you for being patient for 4 years with me.