Penny Dreadfuls, 1912 · page 10 of 118
The Medea — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is a **running prose page** from an introduction section (marked "vi" at top left), presenting a narrative summary rather than original text or illustration. The visible text recounts the myth of Jason and the Argonauts in Victorian prose style. It describes Jason's quest to Colchis, his mission to retrieve the Golden Fleece and his kinsman's soul, his journey with the ship Argo, and his encounter with King Aiétés. The passage emphasizes how Médéa, the king's enchantress daughter, fell in love with Jason, aided him through impossible trials, killed her own brother Absyrtus to ensure Jason's escape, and fled with him—expecting perfect love in return. The text then shifts to questioning Jason's character and whether he truly reciprocated her devotion or merely valued her as an addition to his glory.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
v1 INTRODUCTION pard-skin, his two spears and his long hair, gentle and wild and fearless, as the Wise Beast had reared him. Pelias, cowed but loath to yield, promised to give up the kingdom if Jason would make his way to the unknown land of Colchis and perform a double quest. First, if I read Pindar aright, he must fetch back the soul of his kinsman Phrixus, who had died there far from home; and, secondly, find the fleece of the Golden Ram which Phrixus had sacrificed. Jason undertook the quest: gathered the most daring heroes from all parts of Hellas; built the first ship, Argo, and set tosea. After all man- ner of desperate adventures he reached the land of Aiétés, king of the Colchians, and there hope failed him. By policy, by tact, by sheer courage he did all that man could do. But Aiétés was both hostile and treacherous. The Argonauts were surrounded, and their destruction seemed only a question of days when, suddenly, un- asked, and by the mercy of Heaven, Aiétés’ daughter, Médéa, an enchantress as well asa princess, fell in Jove with Jason. She helped him through all his trials; slew for him her own sleepless serpent, who guarded the fleece; deceived her father, and secured both the fleece and the soul of Phrixus. At the last moment it ap- peared that her brother, Absyrtus, was about to lay an ambush for Jason. She invited Absyrtus to her room, stabbed him dead, and fled with Jason over the seas. She had given up all, and expected in return a perfect | love. And what of Jason? He could not possibly avoid taking Medea with him. He probably rather loved her. She formed at the least a brilliant addition to the glory of his enterprise. Not many heroes could Eomicboo <5) (eto) =}