Final answer:
The deaths of Medea's children are horrific because they result from deliberate, conscious actions by their mother, Medea, which are portrayed as a psychological struggle against unjust societal norms. Her actions deeply subvert traditional maternal roles and challenge the audience's understanding of divinity and societal expectations.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the play Medea by Euripides, the deaths of Medea's children are particularly horrific because of the conscious and deliberate manner in which Medea executes the act. Euripides explores deep psychological complexities, showing that Medea is both rational and driven by a vengeful rationality, which intensifies the horror of her actions as she turns her anguish and fury onto her own flesh and blood. This act serves as a catalyst for critical examination of societal norms, in particular, highlighting the tragic consequences of denying basic human rights to women which, in the context of the play, partly motivates Medea's drastic actions.
The atrocity is heightened by the fact that these violent acts are committed by a mother against her children, subverting the traditional expectation of a mother's nurturing role and provoking a questioning of the gods, societal laws, and human nature itself. Euripides uses this tragic event to criticize the societal conventions that drive individuals to extreme actions and to show the tragic outcomes of such desperation.