Was Medusa Misunderstood?

 

Was Medusa Misunderstood?

By Deborah Sharma

O Medusa! Once a temptuous maiden,
well aware of your charms beauty laden,
Not pausing to reflect of any possible threat, 
O how you would come to sadly regret!

You were desired and seduced,
Crafty Poseidon had you reduced.
With a wretched fate of no reverse,
Victim to Athena’s crippling curse.

Now a hideous hag no longer fair,
withering snakes ruling your hair.
Your future stolen, shunned and alone,
You sought revenge turning all to stone

Those who wandered into your dreadful path,
Encountered your resentful embittered wrath.
Yet Poseidon was unscathed by the act,
Shielded by some untouchable pact.

Then Perseus cunningly removed your head,
To instill in his enemies a fearful dread,
Only to gift it to the one who did not yield,
To Athena who placed you on her Aegis Shield.

  - Deborah Sharma

 Explanation

Was Medusa misunderstood? Medusa once popular for her beauty was soon deemed worthless in her cursed disfigurement

Medusa struggling with her condemnation, became vengeful as she believed she had nothing else to be.

As a woman of lower rank she was to be blamed and Poseidon was not punished, society covered up the actions of those in authority. So, Medusa became the sacrificial scapegoat. 

Medusa was considered dispensable and it seemed as though the higher ups were intent on keeping the social order intact and she was to be made an example of.  In a strange twist of fate, she was exploited by Poseidon in her powerlessness, then exploited by Perseus because of her cursed power. 

I wondered why some days I related to her wrath – what lay deeper beneath the surface? Do we ever also feel vulnerable and victimized? Does the frustration of feeling misunderstood lead to inner turmoil that has us harming others or ourselves?