Classical Studies: Medea

Classical Studies: Medea

1. Introduction

   • The tutor and nurse discuss Jason's betrayal of Medea
     • The nurse fears that Medea may do something to the boys
   • Medea comes out from crying and cursing
     • She explains that she is alright but it is obvious that she is not as she constantly insults Jason and men in general
       • The chorus sympathise with Medea and talk of how it is better not to have children
   • Jason enters the stage
     • He explains that he's marrying the princess to help the family by giving them money
     • Medea claims that he is a coward and is only marrying her as she is young
   • CREON! King of Corinth, tells Medea that she must leave immediatley
     • She convinces him to give her one day to pack her things and say her goodbyes
       • He claims that she cannot do the damage that he fears in one day

2. Medea meets Aegeus, King of Athens

   • He says that he is there to ask the [magical women who can tell the future] if he will ever have children
     • They tell him jibberish
   • Medea makes Aegeus swear that no matter what, he will let her move to Athens with him
     • In return, she will give a potion that will give him a child
     • He agrees to this

3. Medea devises a plan to kill her enemies

   • She has Jason come back and apoligises
     • She says that she was foolish and that he was completely right
       • Jason falls for this (idiot)
       • She asks him to take the children and look after them and to take this (poisoned) dress as a gift for the princess
         • He at first questions this as she 'already has plenty of dresses'
           • Medea convinces him to take the boys and dress
             • The princess at first neglets the boys until she sees the dress and accepts
               • She puts it on and dies from the poison
                 • Her father, CREON! King of Corinth, runs in when he sees her on the floor and holds her body, but gets stuck and is killed by the poison aswell
   • Medea kills her children so that no one will steal them from her
     • The chorus are outside and can hear it happening, but do nothing
   • Jason comes to Medea's house to demand an explination for the murder of the princess
     • The chorus tell him that the children are dead
     • Medea appears in a chariot sent by her grandfather, the sun god, and flies away