The Ultimate Tale of Revenge and Female Power in Classical Theatre

Hell hath no fury like Medea scorned. When Euripides first staged his masterpiece in 431 BCE, he created what would become one of theatre’s most complex and controversial heroines – or perhaps more accurately, anti-heroines. In Medea, we witness a woman’s transformation from betrayed wife to avenging force of nature, culminating in an act so shocking that it still startles audiences 2,500 years later.

Quick Facts

  • First performed: 431 BCE at the City Dionysia festival, Athens
  • Playwright: Euripides
  • Original title: Μήδεια (Medea)
  • Runtime: Approximately 90 minutes
  • Structure: Prologue, 6 episodes, 5 choral odes, exodus
  • Notable fact: Placed third in its original competition, behind plays that have since been lost to history
  • Famous productions: Diana Rigg (1992-1994), Fiona Shaw (2000), Zoe Caldwell (1982)

Just want to read the play?

Sheila Murnaghan translation

Very accessible with some useful historical and contextual commentary.

Ruby Blondell translation

This is still one of the best translations for performance.

David Kovacs translation

Most scholarly accurate version.

Mike Bartlett adaptation

A thought-provoking contemporary retelling of Medea by Bartlett, artistic director of Headlong.

Free version? Try the version on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35451/35451-h/35451-h.htm

Historical Context

Euripides wrote Medea during a pivotal moment in Athenian history. The Peloponnesian War was looming, and questions about citizenship, belonging, and the role of foreigners in Greek society were at their height. The play’s exploration of a foreign woman’s place in Greek society – and her violent rejection of Greek values – would have resonated powerfully with its original audience.

Unlike his contemporaries, Euripides was known for giving voice to society’s marginalized figures – women, slaves, and foreigners. In Medea, he created his most radical exploration of power dynamics and gender roles, challenging his audience’s assumptions about justice, revenge, and the nature of barbarism.

Plot Overview

The play opens in Corinth, where Medea, a princess from the “barbaric” land of Colchis, has fled with her husband Jason (of Argonauts fame). After helping Jason steal the Golden Fleece – betraying her father and killing her own brother in the process – Medea has lived as Jason’s wife for ten years, bearing him two sons.

As the play begins, we learn that Jason has abandoned Medea to marry Glauce, the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth. Creon, fearing Medea’s reputation as a sorceress, orders her immediate exile. What follows is a masterclass in revenge plotting: Medea manipulates everyone around her, securing asylum from Athens’ King Aegeus before executing her horrific plan. She sends a poisoned robe to the princess, killing both her and Creon when he tries to save his daughter. Then, in her most terrible act, Medea murders her own children to ensure Jason’s lineage dies with them. The play ends with Medea escaping in a dragon-drawn chariot provided by her grandfather, the sun god Helios, while Jason is left to mourn everything he has lost.

Themes & Analysis

Gender and Power

At its core, Medea is a study of power – who has it, who doesn’t, and what happens when the powerless decide to seize control. Medea’s famous monologue about women’s lot (“Of all creatures that have life and reason, we women are the most miserable”) resonates as strongly today as it did in ancient Athens. Her actions can be read as either a feminist rejection of patriarchal control or a reinforcement of misogynistic fears about uncontrolled female power.

Barbarism vs. Civilization

Euripides constantly plays with the Greek concept of “barbaros” (foreigner) versus civilized Greek culture. Medea is repeatedly referred to as a barbarian, yet her revenge follows a terribly logical Greek pattern of honor and reciprocity. The play forces us to question: Who are the real barbarians?

Passion vs. Reason

The chorus repeatedly warns about the dangers of excessive passion, yet Medea’s revenge is calculated and cold. Her famous deliberation scene, where she struggles between maternal love and the desire for revenge, shows both emotional turmoil and ruthless logic at work.

Revolutionary Elements

Medea broke new ground in several ways. It was one of the first plays to feature a protagonist who was both female and foreign, and possibly the first to show a mother deliberately killing her children on stage (at least metaphorically – the actual murders happen offstage). The play’s structure, building to its horrific climax through a series of increasingly intense confrontations, would influence tragedy for millennia to come.

Cultural Impact

Medea’s influence on Western culture cannot be overstated. The character has become an archetype, representing everything from the destructive power of passion to feminist rebellion against patriarchal constraints. The play has inspired countless adaptations, from Seneca’s bloodier Roman version to Charpentier’s opera to modern retellings like Luis Alfaro’s “Mojada.”

Reading Guide

Best Translations

Reading Tips

Pay special attention to:

  • The opening speech by the Nurse, which sets up the play’s themes
  • Medea’s great monologue on women’s condition
  • The scene with Aegeus, which shows Medea’s manipulative skills
  • The deliberation speech before the infanticide
  • The final confrontation with Jason

Contemporary Relevance

Medea’s themes of outsider status, gender politics, and revenge continue to resonate. Modern productions often draw parallels with contemporary issues of immigration, domestic violence, and gender equality. The question at the heart of the play – how society treats its marginalized members – remains painfully relevant.

Fun Facts & Trivia

  • Euripides wrote around 92 plays, but only 19 survive
  • The play’s third-place finish at the Dionysia suggests it may have been too shocking for its original audience
  • Ancient sources suggest Euripides was paid by the Corinthians to blame Medea for the death of her children, as they were traditionally believed to have been killed by the Corinthians themselves
  • The dragon-drawn chariot (mechane) was one of the first uses of “special effects” in theatre

Conclusion

Medea remains one of theatre’s most challenging and relevant works. It asks difficult questions about justice, revenge, outsider status, and the limits of human action. Its protagonist, neither hero nor simple villain, continues to fascinate audiences and readers. Whether you see Medea as a feminist icon, a barbarian witch, or something in between, her story remains one of theatre’s most powerful explorations of revenge, justice, and the terrible things people do in the name of honor.

Additional Resources

Next in series: “Antigone: Sophocles’ Tale of Civil Disobedience“