to

Medea

by

Euripides

You are about to embark on a journey with Medea, the granddaughter of Helios, and Jason, a famous Greek hero. To better understand your trip you will need to know some of Jason's background and understand the importance of the gods and the role they played in the Greek system of belief and everyday life. It is also important to remember that Euripides was the most irreverent of the big three tragic playwrights; in addition, he was not above criticizing the social and political system.

 DIRECTORY

The Greeks and Their Gods

Who was Jason?

Jason and Medea Prior to the Play

"Medea" the Play

What Happens After the Play?

Medea Assignments

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The Greeks and Their Gods

Now would be a good time to review and remember what you learned studying The Odyssey and "Antigone". For those with a limited memory or those who were not in class, I'll recount briefly what you need to know.

The Greeks were a polytheistic society, who believed that the gods ruled their lives. The gods determined their fate; in fact, fate and the gods were are often used synonymously. People believed the gods punished those who did not respect them or their precepts. The gods also helped or hindered mortals, playing favorites.  Because the Greeks never knew when a god or goddess would visit earth in human form, it was important to honor guests and observe the rules of hospitality.

Who was Jason?

Jason was the son of Aeson, king of Iolcus.  Jason's uncle, Pelius, took the throne away from Aeson  For his protection, Jason was sent to be raised by Chiron, a centaur. When Jason became a man he decided to reclaim his kingdom and went to Iolcus. Pelius, however, had been warned that Jason would bring about Pelius' death. When Jason showed up, he was so popular with the people that Pelius could not just kill him, so Pelius devised a seemingly impossible task for Jason to perform in order to show that Jason was a true warrior. Not wanting conflict, Jason agreed. Jason was to retrieve the golden fleece from Colchis where it was guarded by a sleepless dragon. For his quest Jason gathered a crew of heroes from Greece and built a wonderful ship, the Argo. Jason and the Argonauts, his crew, met with numerous adventures on the way to Colchis. Arriving in Colchis, his trials were not yet over. King Aeetes of Colchis demanded that Jason perform a series of tasks before attempting to claim the fleece. Jason must yoke a pair of fire-breathing bulls and plow a field with them, then sow the teeth of a dragon in the field and fight the warlike skeletons that sprouted from the seeds. Finally, if successful, he could retrieve the fleece. Jason, however, had help. Medea, Aeetes' daughter, and a sorceress, fell in love with Jason. She gave him an herb to protect him from the bulls and told him that if he threw a rock in the middle of the skeletons they would attack each other instead of Jason and the Argonauts. She also  kills the dragon protecting the fleece and helps Jason and his crew get away on the Argo

Jason and the Argonauts fought the warriors created when he sowed the dragons teeth.

Medea charmed and killed the sleepless serpent dragon that guarded the valuable golden fleece and helped Jason and the Argonauts escape Colchis.

Directory

 Jason and Medea Prior to the Play

Medea helped Jason, and he promised to wed Medea. In order to secure their escape, Medea took her younger brother with her. Her father pursued her. To deter him, Medea killed her brother and cut him into pieces that she cast into the sea. Aeetes stopped to pick up the pieces and Medea escaped. Jason and Medea returned to Iolcos. Arriving in Iolcos, Medea continued with her sorcery, restoring Jason's father's youth by cutting his throat and filling his body with a magic potion. Medea then offered to do the same for Pelius. She tricked Pelius' daughters into killing him, but would not give them the life-restoring potion. Following Pelius' death, Jason and Medea had to flee Iolcos. They journeyed to Corinth where they settled. Medea bore Jason two fine sons. This is where our play begins.

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"Medea" the Play

Although "Medea" was first performed over 2000 years ago, it is still relevant today and reads like a modern day soap opera, with a little science fiction thrown in. As in "Antigone" which we read in 9th grade, "Medea" is loaded with aphorisms or truisms. One speech by Medea is famous and aptly relates the status of Greek women. It is a tragedy, so don't expect a happy ending. This play is two acts long and prior to reading the play you should review the material on the drama home page.

 What Happens After the Play?

Jason, on the other hand, was condemned to wander the earth. At last as an old man, he came back to Corinth. One day Jason was sitting on the beach next to his old ship the Argo, when a beam fell off the ship, struck his head, and killed him.