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About the author
Euripides (c. 485–406 BCE) was one of the most influential tragic playwrights of classical Athens. Writing during the city of Athens Golden Age, he composed approximately 90 plays, 19 of which still survive, including his masterpieces Medea. Euripides is celebrated for reinventing traditional myths and probing the darker, more volatile aspects of human nature.
In ancient Greece, theatre was a vital civic institution used to investigate human existence and morality. Transitioning from early rituals that lacked individual speaking parts, Greek tragedy pioneered the structural format of alternating character dialogue and choral lyrics. Alongside Aeschylus and Sophocles, Euripides established the dramatic foundations that shape modern Western theatre.
You can learn more about him here: ➥Euripides Wikipedia Profile
About the play
The tragedy opens in medias res (in the middle of things) in the city of Corinth. Medea has been abandoned with her two young children by her husband, Jason, who has married the Princess of Corinth to secure political power.
The Backstory: Medea had previously abandoned her homeland of Colchis, using her sorcery to help Jason steal the Golden Fleece. To ensure their escape, she killed her own brother. After later orchestrating the murder of King Pelias in Iolcus, the couple were forced to flee to Corinth as exiles.
Infuriated by Jason's betrayal, Medea makes open threats against the Corinthian royal family. Fearing her reputation for cleverness and vengeance, King Creon arrives to sentence her to immediate banishment. Through masterful manipulation, Medea persuades Creon to grant her a single day to arrange her departure. Once alone, she reveals her true intention: to use this final day to destroy Creon, the Princess, and Jason. Meanwhile, the children's Nurse and Tutor express a growing, ominous dread for the safety of the children, as Medea's grief curdles into malice.
Themes
Exile: Functions simultaneously as a historical reality, an immediate political threat, and an internal psychological state of isolation for Medea.
Truth vs. Rhetoric: Influenced by contemporary Sophist philosophy, the play features deceptive, highly persuasive speeches where language is weaponised to distort the truth.
Gender Roles and Athenian Anxiety: The play explores the rigid social expectations and systemic vulnerabilities of women in patriarchal Greece. Euripides’ fascination with women outscheming and striking back at their "masters" reflects a deep-seated anxiety at the heart of Athenian society.
Justice and Natural Law: The narrative tests the boundaries of basic human morality, tracking the catastrophic breakdown of fundamental familial bonds when characters act against their nature.
Duty: The core conflict stems from a violation of sacred oaths. Medea views her total devotion to Jason as an absolute obligation, which he casually violates for personal ambition.
Historical & Intellectual Context
Geographical and Political Fragmentation: Ancient Greece was divided into hundreds of small, independent city-states due to its mountainous terrain. Athens emerged as the largest democratic and cultural centre, fostering intellectual freedom.
The Sophist Movement: Euripides' work reflects the intellectual ferment of his era. He was heavily influenced by the Sophists, philosophers and teachers of rhetoric who questioned the tension between natural law (physis) and human convention (nomos). This is evident in his characters' highly sophisticated, argumentative debates.
The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BCE): With the exception of Alcestis, all of Euripides' surviving plays were written during this devastating conflict. The war brought severe social upheaval and political instability, replacing the optimism of earlier eras with a profound sense of anxiety and cynicism that permeates his tragedies.
Audiobook
This audiobook is not goverened by copyright as it now sits in the public domain. You can download it in various formats to listen to.
Analysis
Dive deeper into the real-world social dynamics and structural analysis of the text:
While Medea’s depiction of a woman striking against oppression was embraced by the 1960s counterculture. Filmmakers during the 1970s largely avoided this text in favour of other Greek works. In recent times, however, Euripides’ exploration of systemic female oppression and institutional betrayal has regained immense cogency, aligning closely with the #MeToo movement’s assault on patriarchal power dynamics.
This thematic resonance is vividly crystallised in Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise (1991), which directly channels the spirit of Medea’s denouement; by having the protagonists exact violent revenge against a patriarchal system and refuse to be captured. The iconic final drive off the cliff functions as a modern "airborne chariot", leaving their male pursuers looking on impotently.
➥ Analysis Article: Medea is as relevant today as it was in ancient Greece
➥ Analysis Article: Medea and her terrible revenge against the patriarchy
➥ Analysis Article: Greek tragedies like Medea are an ethical nightmare. That’s why we need them
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