Final answer:
When Medea's original plan to destroy Jason and his bride may fail, she decides that she will kill her own children as a form of ultimate revenge against Jason. Her actions highlight the interplay between rationality and emotion that is central to Greek tragedy and her character's vengeful nature.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the play Medea by Euripides, specifically Medea's contingency plan should her initial plot fail. In the event things do not go as Medea has planned, she decides that she will resort to killing her own children as an ultimate act of vengeance against Jason.
Her plan reflects her extreme rationality despite her criminal mindset, a theme that explores the dichotomy between reason and emotion. Medea's intricate plotting against Jason further reveals the depths of her scorn and the lengths she is willing to go to hurt him.
Medea's actions are a pivotal example of the tragic complexity found in Greek literature. The figure of Medea in Greek tragedies represents the archetype of a powerful, vengeful woman who defies societal norms. This story of Medea, Jason, and their tumultuous relationship ending in treachery and revenge is one of the most enduring myths of ancient Greek literature.
Furthermore, the reference to other characters, such as Creon, and the inclusion of other tragic figures in Greek myths within the question's information, underscores the prevalence of themes like power, betrayal, and revenge throughout ancient Greek drama. The tragic outcomes, like those in Medea, often involved dire consequences stemming from the protagonists' actions.