The Psychology of Medusa: Lessons from the Abused Woman Archetype

Lust, jealousy, and vilification

Medusa GIF from Giphy

In Greek mythology, Medusa was one of the three daughters of the sea gods. She was the only beautiful child. She had a soft face and luscious hair. Her siblings were said to be monsters.

The sea god, Poseidon, as with many others, admired her beauty. He raped Medusa while she was under the servitude of the goddess, Athena. Infuriated, Athena turned Medusa’s hair into ringlets of serpents, and her into a monster.

She is depicted with sharpened teeth, and a face so hideous, that just the sight of her would turn any man to stone.

It was only the ‘hero’, Perseus, who was able to kill her, using Athena’s shield as a guide to find her reflection without looking into her face.

Psychology of Medusa

• Medusa is a youthful gorgeous woman exploited by a powerful man.
• Poseidon represents a lewd powerful man who rapes the woman of his lust.
• Athena represents a woman who shames Medusa and turns her into a monster. She projects her anger onto Medusa because she feels too limited to shame Poseidon, but is also secretly jealous of Medusa's beauty.
• Medusa’s grotesque new look and…