Medea – Euripides

Original production

2003 summer season

July 20, 2003 — Ancient Theatre of Ohrid, Ohrid, FYROM

Summary of the play:

Medea’s Nurse laments the misfortunes of her mistress. The foreign princess abandoned her home to follow Jason, whom she had helped acquire the Golden Fleece. The new couple was forced to leave Iolcus, Jason’s homeland, and seek refuge in Corinth. However, despite her great love for him, Jason abandoned Medea, as well as their two children, and has now married the daughter of Creon, King of Corinth. Medea, in her appeal to Zeus, accuses Jason of breaking his oaths, and the Chorus of Corinthian women enters the orchestra to console the betrayed woman.

Creon appears unexpectedly. Terrified by this turn of events and fearing for his daughter and his household, he asks Medea to leave his city immediately. However, he yields to her pleas and, out of pity for her children, grants her permission to stay in Corinth for one more day. The king departs, and Medea contemplates how she will take revenge on her husband.

The treacherous husband comes to meet his betrayed wife. Jason claims to sympathise with her and offers her money to help her. Medea refuses his assistance and accuses him of violating the oaths of fidelity he had given her and forgetting that she was instrumental in the success of the Argonautic Expedition. Jason denies any obligation towards her and tries to explain the benefits he has brought her by bringing her to a civilised country. As for his new marriage, he explains that it gives him the opportunity to become connected to the royal house of Corinth.

Aegeus, King of Athens, returns from Delphi and passes through Corinth on his way to his city. Medea asks him about the reasons that led him to seek advice from the god Apollo and promises him that she can cure him of his sterility and help him have a child if he offers her protection in Athens after she has taken her revenge. The Athenian king agrees and departs. Medea reveals her plan to the Chorus to murder the daughter of Creon and kill her own children in order to avenge their father. She then sends the Nurse to summon Jason.

Medea pretends to accept all of Jason’s offers but asks him to keep their children with him. Jason promises to do whatever he can to obtain the consent of Creon and his daughter. Medea sends her children to the bride with two fatal gifts, a poisoned robe, and a poisoned crown. Alone now, she reconsiders her plan and makes the heavy decision to sacrifice her children. The messenger arrives to announce the terrible death of the bride and Creon, who burned with his daughter while trying to save her. Medea enters her house and kills her children.

Meanwhile, Jason arrives to save his children from the Corinthians, who seek to kill them to avenge their king’s death. But Medea appears with her dead children on a magical chariot sent by her great-grandfather, the Sun. She does not allow Jason to even touch them and, after predicting his miserable death, she leaves for Athens.

Summary of the play, from the programme of the performance, pages 10-11.

Source: National Theatre of Greece