Medea by Euripides

Medea

Euripides

Written 431 BC

Greek tragedy

⭐⭐⭐

The Well-Educated Mind Plays

First, I have to explain the issue with this book cover. The cover art is a detail from a painting by Eugene Delacroix of Medea preparing to kill her children. (Sorry, I know, spoiler alert.) As is common in Classical and Romantic art of the Greeks and Romans, there is nudity, and this image included enough that I had to give Medea a bandeau. So that's what that is about. There are other artworks available featuring a clothed Medea that would have been more suitable, but I digress. 

ABOUT THE PLAY

Well, well, well...a woman turns psycho after her two-timing husband decided to upgrade and marry a princess to advance his own agenda. What could possibly go wrong? 

I thought I liked Jason of the Argonauts, but he left his wife Medea to help Creon, ruler of Corinth, and married his daughter, leaving Medea devastated. She was in such turmoil she threatened to kill her own two children. Creon was naturally concerned for his own life, and he banished Medea and her children from the land. However, she successfully convinced Creon to give her one last day before she left for good, and he granted it, which was a big mistake. 

In the hours leading up to her departure, she met with Jason, who, for whatever reason, had compassion on her, though he conveniently blamed women for all that was wrong with society. 

But you women have sunk so low that, when your sex life is going well, you think that you have everything, but then, if something goes wrong with regard to your bed, you consider the best and happiest circumstances utterly repugnant. The human race should produce children from some other source and  a female sex should exist. Then mankind would be free from every evil. 

In their time together, each had a moment to share his/her side of the story. Jason also explained why Medea was being exiled by Creon: because she dares curse the royal family. Medea described losing one's native land as the worst misery. 

After her meeting with Jason, Aegeus paid Medea a visit. He had a problem which Medea could help him with, and in return, he would offer her protection in his land, which she would need after she followed through with her wicked plot to kill Jason's new wife. 

She asked Jason to persuade his new wife permission for her children to stay behind and be raised with Jason and her. Medea provided gifts, a robe laced with poison, to appease her.

Immediately the princess put on the robe and the poison began to work. She was like a girl on fire. And Creon embraced his daughter, and died with her. 

Next, Medea prepared to flee to Athens, but not before seeking ultimate revenge on Jason by murdering her children. Afterward, Medea and Jason had a few choice words for one another, but in the end, Jason was left to suffer. 

LAST WORDS

I felt awful after reading this play. There were so many verbal insults and offenses exchanged between Medea and Jason, and obviously nothing good came out of this story. Of course, Euripides challenged the status quo of women in society of his day, as he portrayed a woman who violently acted out her scorn and abuse by her husband, Jason. She sought the worst kind of revenge by murdering her own babies. Certainly she punished herself in the process, though I did not get that impression. I imagine audiences must have been shocked to watch this play. I would have. 

Next play in The Well-Educated Mind list is: The Birds by Aristophanes. 

 

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