The characters Eliza Hamilton and Medea share a remarkably similar plight. Both are won over by the words of their spouse, both were utterly loyal, and both were cheated on by their husband. In “Burn” (sung by Phillipa Soo) from the musical Hamilton and Euripides Medea we find two heart wrenching accounts of betrayed women.
“Burn” is Eliza’s reaction to the Reynold’s Pamphlet, an account of her husband’s affair, written by her husband, in the hopes of maintaining his status in society. In the process, he destroys his relationship with his wife. “You said you were mine/I thought you were mine/Do you know what Angelica said/When we saw your first letter arrive?/She said/“Be careful with that one, love/He will do what it takes to survive.”/You and your words flooded my senses/Your sentences left me defenseless” in these lines one can feel the anguish of Eliza, she truly believed her husband was her loyal partner, but her happy life (or the façade of it) is undone by her husband’s betrayal followed by his attempts to save face. He did what it took to survive politically, but in doing so killed his marriage. The added salt to the wound is that their entire relationship he had been doting and loving in his letters to her, so she had no reason to suspect the betrayal.
Just like Eliza, Medea gave everything to her husband, who won her over with his lovely words, just for him to stab her in the back in an attempt to socially climb by marrying the daughter of the king of Corinth, “The one who was everything to me (I know it) Has turned out the worst of men, my husband.” (Euripides, Medea, lns. 228-230). Jason tries to spin it that he was trying to let her keep a good life in the city even after he is remarried, but she is still ordered to be exiled (lns. 455-458). Both women are betrayed by their husband, who they thought were completely loyal to them, and both must deal with the consequences. They also must deal with their entire communities knowing what happened as neither man is exactly discreet, with Alexander writing a pamphlet and Jason marrying the princess of Corinth.
However, they diverge utterly in how they react to the betrayal. Eliza reacts by burning the letters Alex sent her (thus the name of the song), refusing to let society know that he is a loving husband – which might make people let him off the hook somewhat for breaking her heart. On the other hand, Medea kills her kids, Jason’s new wife Glauce, the king (when he tries to save Glauce), and runs away to Athens in a chariot pulled by dragons.
Somewhat different approaches to revenge.
Euripides, Medea
Lns. 228-230 – “The one who was everything to me (I know it) Has turned out the worst of men, my husband.”
Lns. 455-458 – Jason monologue