In all the accounts of his life, Jason's career was continually fraught with conflict. In his quest for the golden fleece, he had to overcome various difficulties before he even arrived in Colchis, including the Gegeines or earthborn giants, the harpies, and the clashing rocks or Symplegades. Having reached his destination, Jason had to plow a field while yoked to fire-breathing oxen, sow the dragon's teeth and overcome the warriors who grew from them, and finally defeat the dragon that guarded the fleece without ever sleeping.

Since these antagonists were all magical beings, Jason's most frequent conflict was that of man against the supernatural. Jason was not altogether a natural man himself, since he was, like many Greek heroes, a mixture of royal and divine descent. However, demigods like Jason, though their abilities were extraordinary, did not enjoy anything like divine power. The conflicts in Colchis were significantly easier for Jason than those at the beginning of the quest because he had the help of Medea, a sorceress who fought magic with magic. Later in his career, Jason was to find himself pitted against Medea, meaning that his main conflict was once again a battle against supernatural powers, which, at this point, he was no longer able to overcome.