Medea by Euripides

You know that expression, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?"  Let me tell you about Medea.


Medea married Jason after helping him to succeed in and survive certain adventures.  She left her homeland and came to live with him in Corinth, and eventually they had two sons.  As the play opens, she is grieving because he has left her for the daughter of King Creon of Corinth.  Medea is a sorceress with some pretty scary powers.  It seems to me that Jason should have known better than to cross her.


He tries to convince her that he has entered into this relationship with the king's daughter in order to secure their position in the kingdom and cause their sons to be half brothers to the royal family.  Medea doesn't buy it...particularly since he did not discuss this plan with her ahead of time.  She plots to kill Creon, his daughter, Jason and their two sons....her own children.  


In order to accomplish this, she feigns acceptance of the situation and apologizes for her prior conduct.  She tells Jason to take their two sons to meet his new wife and offer her presents.  The presents she sends are an embroidered robe and a golden crown on which spells have been cast.  The person who wears them will die most painfully, their flesh ripping off of their bones.


The princess who is to be Jason's bride dons the garments and the curse begins.  As she is dying, her father is called.  He embraces her and is caught up in the spell also.  As soon as a messenger comes to tell Medea of the death of Creon and his daughter, she kills her own two sons rather than have them killed by Creon's loyal subjects.  Jason arrives and begs to be allowed to bury his sons, but Medea is determined to take them away with her.  Medea leaves on a chariot drawn by dragons.


Some interesting quotes from this play:
...the greatest safeguard this when wife and husband do agree; but now their love is all turned to hate, and tenderest ties are weak.  (Medea's nurse)  This is an interesting phenomenon.  Passionate love turns to passionate hate.


Art learning only now, that every single man cares for himself more than for his neighbour, some from honest motives, others for mere gain's sake?  (Attendant to Medea's children)  I'm having a little difficulty with just what "honest motive" would cause one to care most for himself.


Some think me clever and hate me, others say I am too reserved, and some the very reverse; others find me hard to please and not so very clever at all.  (Medea)  Strong and clever women do have this problem.  They pose a threat to some, while other appreciate their gifts.


Yea, men should have begotten children from some other source, no female race existing; thus would no evil ever have fallen on mankind.  (Jason)  Now there's an interesting perspective!  I am pretty sure that the male of the species left to his own devices would have found a way to be evil.


A villain's gifts can bring no blessing. (Medea)  Perhaps the villain intends no blessing, but a gift is still a gift.  I heard a story once about a poor elderly woman who prayed for food.  A neighbor who didn't believe in God overheard her and brought her some food.  He could not resist taunting her that God had not answered her prayer.  She replied, "God sent the food, even if the devil did deliver it."