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Overview
Synopsis
In a continuation of the stories of Jason and the Argonauts, foreign princess and sorceress Medea has murdered her own father to help Jason win the Golden Fleece and the kingdom of Thessaly. They have married and have two sons. Now in ancient Corinth, Medea is told that Jason will be marrying the Corinthian princess. The King of Corinth, anticipating her wrath, sends her into exile. She plans revenge against Jason and negotiates safe haven with the naïve King of Athens. Through her magic, she kills the Corinthian king and princess, Jason’s intended, and, in a final act of vengeance, kills her two sons by Jason. She escapes justice, taken to the sky on the back of a chariot, with the bodies of her children. One of ancient Greek drama’s most famous plays, The Medea resonates with audiences through emotionally charged characters placed in impossible circumstances, constrained by their social, political, gender, and familial roles.
Based on: Trans. Rex Warner, The Medea, originally published Bodley Head Limited, 1944. Ed. David Grene and Richard Lattimore, Euripides I. University of Chicago Press, 1955.
Show Information
- Book
- Euripides
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- corinth, greece, ancient times
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- Optional
- Ideal For
- Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult, Child Characters, Medium Cast
Context
The Medea was premiered as part of the Dionysian festival, a theatre competition between playwrights to honor the gods, in 431 BCE. Playwright Euripides presented The Medea alongside two other dramas and one satyr comedy, and placed last in the competition. They play’s simple form and shocking plot twists set it apart from its ancient contemporaries, and make it one of the most well-known Greek works of theatre around the world. Medea as a character has become a trope of drama, a scorned
to read the context for The Medea and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
After Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece, he and his foreign wife and the mother of his children, Medea, have arrived in Corinth. The Nurse confronts the grief-stricken Medea, who has been in crazed mourning since Jason agreed to marry the Corinthian princess, Glauce. Medea begins plotting her revenge against Jason and the Corinthian royal family. King of Corinth, Creon, father of Glauce, anticipates Medea’s rage and commands she leave Corinth and go into exile. Medea, already plotting, begs
to read the plot for The Medea and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken, Silent |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
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