Explore "Medea" by Euripides on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
This famous tragedy was first produced in 431 BC and the plot centres upon the barbarian protagonist and the revenge she takes against her husband Jason, who has abandoned her for another woman. Euripides produced Medea along with the lost plays Philoctetes, Dictys and the satyr play Theristai, earning him last place at the City Dionysia festival for that year. All of the other plays are now lost.
The action of the play is set in Corinth, where Jason has brought Medea after the adventures of the Golden Fleece and he has now left her in order to marry Glauce, the daughter of King Creon. The play opens with Medea grieving over her loss and with her elderly nurse fearing what she might do to herself or her children. Creon, also fearing what Medea might do, arrives determined to send her into exile. Medea pleads for a day's respite and Creon begrudgingly gives in. In the next scene Jason arrives to confront her and explain himself. He believes he could not pass up the opportunity to marry a royal princess, as Medea is only a barbarian woman, but hopes to eventually join the two families and keep Medea as his mistress. Medea and the chorus of Corinthian women do not believe him. She reminds him that she left her own people to follow him and that she saved him and slew the dragon. Jason promises to support her after his new marriage, but Medea spurns him and so begins planning her terrible and bloody revenge.