Red-figure vase 330 BC of Medea killing one of her sons.

Medea, a greek tragedy, was written by Euripides during the Hellenistic Period in ancient Greece. It tells the story of Medea’s, (grand daughter of… Read More The play takes place several years after the events of the Argonautica. The scene opens with the Nurse briefing the audience to the current situation:

Medea is emotionally crippled by her husband Jason's betrayal. Jason has married the daughter of Creon. Medea has become extremely depressed, crying all day, paying little mind to her children, and missing her homeland. The nurse worries that she will lose her shit and hurt everyone involved.

"For though woman be timorous enough in all else, and as regards courage, a coward at the mere sight of steel, yet in the moment she finds her honour wronged, no heart is filled with deadlier thoughts than hers"

Creon, seeking to rid Medea and her children before they can make any attempts to harm his daughter or future grandson, banishes them into exile. Thanks to Medea's pleading, he gives her a day to pack her shit before she leaves.

Jason shows up and tries to justify his douchebaggery to Medea, explaining that he has to do it because royalty is really important. He also leaves her out to dry:

"I weary not of my goodwill, but am come with thus much forethought [...] thou may be destitute when cast out [...] though thou hatest me, never will I harbor hard thoughts of thee"

But he tries to keep things cool offering to join her family back to his one day. The chorus and Media call bullshit. Media also reminds him of what she sacrificed and did for him and proceeds to cut ties:

"I will have nothing to do with your friends or your gifts. a villain's gifts bring no blessing"

Suddenly Aegeus, king of Athens, shows up out of the blue and tells Medea about how he's struggling to have kids, relying on oracles that have yielded no results. Medea takes the opportunity to promise to help him with his problem if he takes her to Athens. She updates him on the current sitch:

"Do not see me cast forth forlorn, but receive me in thy country [...] You know not the rare good luck you find with me. I will make your childlessness cease. So potent are the spells I know"

Medea, now with a place to crash and lay low, gets back to plotting revenge. She's going to convince Jason she's cool with the new marriage and wants to come back. Then she's going to send her sons with poison laced robes from Helios to Jason and his new bride as a "peace offering".

"Miserably shall she die, and likewise everyone who touches er, with such fell poisons will i smear my gifts."

A messenger informs Media that the daughter of Creon and Creon both died pretty gruesomely through fire.

Then she decides she also needs to kill her kids. They didnt do anything wrong but she wants Jason to suffer for the family he gave up....so... they need to die. She goes off stage and stabs them to death. The chorus laments on stage of her actions and does nothing.

"Of all the wives I know but one who laid her had upon her children [...] the gods maddened her [...] but because of the foul murder of her children she flung herself in the sea [...] what sorrows have you caused men now!"

Jason enters to confront her about his wife and father in law's murder and notices his dead kids. He's too late, as Medea fleas to Athens with her dead kids on a flying chariot from the sun god Helios.