EURIPIDES’

MEDEA

Translated

By

George Theodoridis

©2005

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

MEDEA

JASON

CREON

AEGEUS

NURSE

TUTOR

MESSENGER

CHILDREN OF MEDEA

CHORUS OF CORINTHIAN WOMEN

Night. Dull sound of thunder. Flashes of lightning. In the background, in heavy shadows, the house of Jason and Medea.

From within we hear Medea’s scream

Medea:

Gods! Gods, be my witness!

Sharper clashes of thunder. More frequent flashes of lightning.

Fade down.

Again we hear Medea screaming:

Medea:

What is the use of living? Come thunder, come lightning of the sky, come and crash upon my head! I cannot stand the pain! Hades, come! Come Hades and cut down this wretched life of mine!

Crescendo of thunder and lightning. Hold for a moment or two

Fade out and cut all FX

Slowly, as if agonisingly, fade in day.

Jason and Medea’s house is clearly shown in the background. Two doors, one near the centre, the other, a smaller, to Stage left. Medea uses the centre door, Nurse and Tutor the smaller one.

Enter the Nurse. Tired. Spent a sleepless night. Shakes her head in despair.

Nurse:

How I wish!

How I wish!

That fast ship, Argo should not have made it past those cursed clashing rocks on its way to Colchis!

How I wish!

That forest of Pelium, clogged full of hardy pines, had not supplied the sturdy sailors with oars! They wouldn’t have sailed on to get the golden fleece, as they were ordered by Pelias then and nor would my mistress Medea, be here now!

She had left her own home - her heart torn with love for Jason- to sail for the great castles of Iolcos and then to this place, here, in Corinth, where she lives with Jason and their children.

Oh, but she had managed to convince Pelias’ daughters to murder him first!

When she first arrived here, the local folk loved her. They saw in her a perfect wife for Jason. Perfect in every way. Never argued with Jason. Always compromising, always accommodating –and that, you see, is how a woman earns her safety: do not argue with your husband!

That was then.

16

Now, there’s nothing but arguing, nothing but hatred, nothing but poison, nothing but –

Jason betrayed his children and his wife, then he married the Princess, King Creon’s daughter, Glauce and now he sleeps in a royal marital bed. Meanwhile, Medea -the Fates fully against her and wholly dejected- screams and cries at him, asking him to remember his promises to her. Asks him to remember the mighty oaths he swore for her. She calls upon the Gods to bear witness to the way Jason pays her back for her obedience and compromise and all the accommodating and all the love she affords him.

She lies there –from the moment she found out about her husband’s adultery – she lies there, poor wretch, unable to put a bite in her mouth, her body completely abandoned to the pain, the tears wearing away her days and her eyes, her face, pinned hard to the ground.

The kind voices of her friends, which one by one visits her and tries to advise her, to comfort her, those voices sound like ocean storms clashing madly upon rocks. Now and then she turns her pale face and all alone, cries heavily about her beloved father, the land and the house she has abandoned so as to be with a man who’s betrayed her.

It is now that the poor woman realised how horrible it is to leave one’s homeland. Her dire fortune taught her that bitter lesson. She hardly looks up at her children any more, she gets no joy in that. I rather think she hates them and I’m afraid…

I’m afraid that some evil thoughts might be taking over her mind. There’s something wild about her face and I’m afraid –

I’m afraid that she might do something dreadful. I don’t think she’ll be able to cope well with this injustice.

I know my mistress well and I fear her. I’m afraid she’s capable of working her way into the palace, enter the king’s palace and murder him by plunging a sharp knife into his body and into the body of Jason.

I’m afraid.

I’m afraid because she has a sly mind. I’m afraid because whoever crosses swords with her will most certainly lose.

Enter Tutor with the two boys.

Ahhhh! And here are the children! Playtime over, darlings? What few cares enter the minds of children. How little they know of their mother’s awes! Children don’t like to think ugly thoughts.

49

Tutor:

Old woman, servant in my mistress’ household, why are you standing here, in front of the gates, all alone, wailing the pains of your soul? How will Medea manage without you?

Nurse:

Old man, tutor of Jason’s children, a Lady’s woes are her servant’s woes too, that is if they are good servants. Their souls ache just as much.

I’m out here, old man, because my heart urged me to tell –both, Earth and Sky- my Lady’s problems.

Tutor:

So the poor woman hasn’t stopped crying yet?

Nurse:

If only! This trepidation has only just started and it’s still a long way from its middle.

Tutor:

She’s such a foolish woman! If I may be allowed to use such words about my mistress. And she still knows nothing of the new problems yet!

Nurse:

What new problems? What is it old man? Don’t keep it from me!

Tutor:

Nothing. Nevermind. I’ve changed my mind about telling you. I shouldn’t.

65

Nurse:

Come, old man! By your grey beard, I beg you! We are both servants in the same household. Don’t keep anything from me. In any case, if I have to, I can keep my mouth sealed.

Tutor:

All right then, here it is!

I heard that king Creon will be sending Medea and these here children into exile. I heard that when I was near where the old folk play drafts, by the holy spring of Peirini. It was some old man who said that. No one saw me when I was there.

Creon will be sending them to Corinth, the old man said. I’ve no idea if this rumour is true or not. I sure hope it isn’t.

Nurse:

But what of Jason? Would he let this happen to his children? Let me go into exile just because he has a dispute going with his wife?

Tutor:

New loves erase the old ones, old woman. Jason no longer loves Medea and this household.

Nurse:

Well, we are gone then! New troubles arrive even before the old ones have gone.

Tutor:

But you, since it’s not yet time for our mistress to know, be quiet and say nothing.

Nurse:

To the boys

My little boys! If only you knew what your father is really like! He’s my master so I won’t curse him but he’s shown himself to be cruel to his own family!

85

Tutor:

And who’s the better father in the world! They’re all the same. More love for themselves than for others. For bed or for profit, justly or wrongly their father hates these children.

Nurse:

To the children

Off you go now kids! Inside, quickly!

To the Tutor

And you, old man, keep them away from Medea for as long as she is in such deep melancholy because… because just a short while ago I saw her throwing them a strange and dreadful look, as if she wanted to do them some awful harm. Her anger will not subside until she lets it clash full and hard upon someone, anyone - friend or enemy. I know that very well!

From within:

Medea:

Gods! Death! Why don’t you come for me! I cannot take this grief any more! Let me die! Death!

Nurse:

To the children

Hear that, my darlings? Her heart is shaken. Her anger in growing wild. Quickly! Run inside. Don’t let her see you and don’t go near her, my darlings. Watch her carefully darlings. She has a heart of steel and her mind weaves evil. Hurry! Inside with you!

Exit boys and tutor.

106

I could see this a long time ago. The cloud of grief raising the heat of anger high, ever higher as this cloud broadens its cover.

I wish I knew!

If only I knew what hides behind all this grief, what hides inside this angry heart. This heart that will never find peace.

Within

Medea:

Oh! How can I deal with this suffering! Gods, how it hurts! So much pain because of these cursed, hateful sons of a hateful mother. Curse you! Curse you and your deceitful father! Curse your wretched, abominable house! Let it turn to dust.

Nurse:

Oh, Gods! Gods help us all!

In the direction of Medea’s voice

Why the children? What have the children done to you? Are they to blame for their father’s transgressions? Why hate them?

Oh, my poor, poor boys! May the gods protect you from your mother. How I fear for you!

How afraid I am of these royal rages! It’s so hard for them to subside. Kings and queens have been spoiled by power. They’re not used to taking orders. No, they prefer to give them, by far! They’ll act only according to their own wishes.

Oh, how much better it is to live a balanced life: to be an equal among equals.

So far as I am concerned, my wish is to have a quiet, a soft old age –rather than one full of greatness and of wealth. The wisest words are these: Let moderation hold the pride of place.

Moderation is the most useful thing to man and if man holds something else dearer to moderation, he’ll lose. Add to that the wrath of the gods, which will fall most heavily upon his house and destroy him.

Enter the chorus of women, anxiously. They first scatter in distress and then gather round the nurse.

DIRECTOR NOTE: It is up to you to allocate individual lines to the members of your chorus, depending, of course how many you have at your disposal and how kinetic you want the stage to be.

131

Chorus:

I’ve heard her wails! The heavy groans of grief coming from the heart of this unfortunate daughter of Colchis.

I see her pain still hasn’t eased. I’ve heard her agony from my room at the court.

I don’t like this heavy pain she’s suffering, old nurse.

I don’t like the pain that now wrecks this house. Only my own heart knows how dearly I love this home.

Nurse:

Indicating the house behind her

House? What house? The house is gone, my dear. There is no house here. Here there is nothing!

Jason was lured by the royal bed and my mistress cries and wastes away, not a drop of solace from any friends and completely shut off from the world. Not a friend around, nor a drop of sympathy.

Within

Medea:

What is the use of living? Come thunder, come lightening of the sky, come and crash upon my head! I cannot stand the pain! Hades, come! Come Hades and cut down this wretched life of mine!

Chorus:

Did you hear that?

Praying

Zeus! Earth! And you great light! Can you not hear the wailing of this lamentable maiden?

Poor girl! Why the pain? Why this awful pain for a lost bed? Such a pain will soon take you to your grave. Why? Why ask of death? Why ask of such a thing? And just because your beloved has found another woman is it so necessary for your anger to break your heart? Zeus will recompense you. Don’t tear yourself apart mourning a husband who won’t return.

160

Within

Medea:

Great Themis, daughter of Zeus! Great, sacred Artemis! You see well how I’m suffering. Still, I’ve bound my deceitful husband with the bonds of mighty oaths and curses. Curses which should take him and his bride and his palaces! They dared to deceive me.

O, dear home, dear father from whom I parted! Dear brother whom I killed! Shameless woman! I’m a shameless woman! Ohhhh!

Nurse:

You hear that? Do you hear what words she finds to utter and how she calls for Themis understands oaths and Zeus who guards them?

My mistress’ anger will find a hard end.

173

Chorus:

Is it possible for me to go and see her, speak with her, make this weighty anger and awful torture which has taken over her brain, ease a little? Let me continue helping my friends.

Nurse nods agreement

Go then, Nurse and tell her, with friendly words to come out here. Hurry! Before she does something awful to her children. That melancholy of hers seems to deepen by the minute!

Nurse:

Reluctantly

I’ll go and do that but I’m afraid I won’t be able to convince my mistress about anything. I’ll do it! I’ll do it for your sake, even though… even though every time one of her servants approaches her she becomes wild with anger and looks at them with the eyes of a lioness who just gave birth.

People who call old men fools and charlatans are right. They invented songs that please the ear and the table of a dinner and the drinking party, but no one managed to find the songs and melodies to calm the tortured spirit of folk who suffered loss by death or misfortune, losses which ruins their complete households.

It’s for such things that these old men should find songs to sing.

What’s the use of all this happy shouting at the dinners?

A table full of food should suffice their desire for joy. Why all the noisy songs?

Exit Nurse

Medea:

Within

Ahhhhhhh! Gods!

204

Chorus:

I’ve heard the scream of bitter pain, the screm of lamentation. She raised her voice the poor wretch, with curses against the deceiver of her bed, cursing him that he finds his marriage a black one. And she calls Themis, Zeus’ daughter as witness to her suffering. It was she Themis, protector of oaths, who brought her one night through the endless salty sea in the land opposite her own, Colchis, of Greece.

Enter Medea with two attendants.

214

Medea:

Corinthian women. I have come out among you so that you’ll stop talking behind my back, condemning my every action.

I know many people –some directly, with my own eyes and others I’ve heard about- who were born good folk but because they stayed quietly away from society, got themselves the odious reputation of being snobs and conceited individuals.

Man’s eyes alone are inadequate judges of people. A judgement made without knowing a person well could result in hating that person for no reason at all, except by how he looks.

Sure, a foreigner must accept all the customs of the city but I cannot praise the local-born who, due to overweening insolence, and immaturity, hurts bitterly his fellow citizens.

225

Corinthian women, you know that I have to suffer an insufferable thing, a thing that has worn my soul away.

I’m no longer alive! I refuse all of life’s charms and I seek death. Yes, death, Corinthians, because my husband, who was my whole world, had become the most evil of men.

Of all the living things, of all those things that have a soul and a sense, we, yes we, the women, are the most pathetic! Imagine! We need to spend a fortune to buy us a man who… what will he do? He will become the master of our bodies! And, it’s obvious, that this dangerous thing, becomes even more dangerous when we don’t find the right husband. Is he a good husband? Or is he a bad one? By the time you find that out it’s already too late.

And then, for a woman to leave her husband is neither proper nor possible. To live in a place where new laws and customs apply one needs to be a seer, since your own folk don’t tell you how you should behave towards your husband.

241

And if all these things work out well and our husband lives with us without thinking the marriage yoke to be too heavy, well that would indeed be a great life. If not, though, only Death opens his arms for us. Only Death awaits us. Man, however, if he finds the house too great a burden, he leaves the place, finds a friend or someone of similar age and his heart has shrugged off that weight. We, on the other hand, can only let our eyes fall upon one person and one person only, that of our husband.

Then they also say that whilst we live quietly and without any danger at home, the men go off to war. Wrong! One birth alone is worse than three times in the battlefield behind a shield.

In any case, Corinthians, things between you and me, are different. You are here, in your own country and home, enjoying your life and your friends, whereas I am here alone and without a country. My husband deceives me and treats me like a prize he ripped out of some barbarous country; no mother, no brother, no relative at all to whom I can turn for support at this dreadful time.

259

From you, however I ask only one thing: If I manage to find some means by which I can punish my husband and his father-in-law, that man who gave him his daughter as wife, do not tell anyone.

A woman is, in all things, timid, shy, weak and can’t even look at weapons but when she’s deceived by her husband, when her marriage is mocked, there is nothing more bloodthirsty than her.

267

Chorus:

Of course, Medea. Do as you please. It’ll be a justified act to extract vengeance from your husband. It is no surprise to us that you grieve your fate…

Enter Creon with attendants.

Chorus:

Ah, here’s our king Creon. He must have some new proclamation for us.

Creon:

To Medea

You!

Frowning woman! Always arguing with your husband!

Yes, you, Medea!

I order you to pick up your kids and get out of this country immediately. You’re exiled!

In fact, I’ll execute this decision myself and will not return back to my palace until I see you past our borders.

Medea:

Ah! Now I’m truly lost! Poor woman. My enemies have used everything at their disposal to get rid of me. There’s nothing left for me to do to escape my fate.

Still, Creon, with all these misfortunes I’m suffering, at least please let me ask you why you are sending me away.

282

Creon:

All right!

I won’t mince my words: I’m sending you away because I’m afraid that you might do some unmendable harm to my daughter. In fact, there are many things which give rise to my fears: you’re knowledgeable in many evil arts and you’re angry at the fact that you’re losing your husband. And there’s yet another: I hear that you’re scheming and threatening to do harm to me, personally and to my son-in-law and to my daughter. So I need to protect myself before I am hurt. Better I endure your hatred now than to feel sorry for you now and change my mind later, with pain and agony.

Medea:

Oh, Creon! Creon! This is not the first time that my reputation hurt me enormously.

The wise man must never bring up his children to be too wise. Not only will the crowds call them “useless” but that same crowd will also turn their back on them and treat them with envy and hostility.

If you were to teach the uneducated something new and beautiful, not only will they not appreciate it but they’ll call you “good for nothing.” And if those who think themselves to be wise, consider you even wiser than them, then you’ll hurt them most awfully. And that’s where my own suffering stems from: They call me “wise” yet, in reality I am not very “wise.” Some people scorn me, others simply hate me and you are now afraid that I do you some enormous harm!

Have no fear, though, Creon! I’m not capable of hurting kings! In any case, how did you ever hurt me? You simply married your daughter to the man you liked. I hate my husband whereas what you did, you did with your mind intact. So, on my part now, I do not envy at all your good luck. By all means, have the wedding and may you rejoice by them. But let me stay here, in this land and even though I’ve been dishonoured, I’ll say no more of it because you are by far my superiors.

316

Creon:

The words you utter can tame a man but I’m afraid –my heart is afraid- that your mind is spinning some evil web. I no longer trust you as I did before. You’re too silent now and whilst it is easy to protect oneself from the hot headed man or woman, it is impossible to do so when the woman is scheming and silent.

So leave now! Leave right now, quickly and end all this chatter. The matter has been decided and you will not be allowed to stay here since you hate me so much.

Medea:

Kneels before Creon

No! No, don’t do this, I beg of you on my knees. Please! For the sake of the young bride!

325

Creon:

You’re wasting your words. I will not change my mind.

Medea:

So you’ll send me off into exile without the slightest respect to my prayers?

Creon:

But of course. My love for my family is far greater than my love for you.

Medea:

Oh how I miss you, Colchis, my land!

Creon:

Quite right, too, because I too, love my country next to my family

330

Medea:

Poor people! What a dire suffering is my love for you!

Creon:

Depends…

Medea:

Prays to Zeus

Zeus! May he who caused all this suffering not escape his punishment!

Creon:

Leave now, you terrible woman! Leave and torture me no more!

Medea:

The torture, Creon, is mine!

335

Creon:

Attendants! My attendants will send you on your way immediately! By force if necessary.

Medea:

No, Creon, don’t do this! I beg you with all my heart!

Creon:

Woman, I can see, you’re up to no good!

Medea:

Have no fear, Creon. I shall leave. This is not what I’m begging you for…

Creon:

You’re persistently begging me about something! What is it? Leave, I tell you!

Medea:

She goes near him, takes his hands and brings them to her heart. Her voice is plaintive yet unsettling. Coy.

My request, king, is that you let me stay one day longer to prepare for my trip and to do what’s necessary for the children since their father does not care for them in the slightest! Have pity on them, Creon. You, too are a father and surely you’ll sympathise. I no longer care about leaving. My concern is only about the children.

Creon:

My heart is not tyrannical at all and I have suffered much because I am a compassionate man. Even now, I can see that I am making a mistake by giving in to your wishes.

However! I warn you that if the morning sunrays fall upon both you and your children within the borders of this land, you’ll die. These are undeniable, unalterable words.

Stay, if you need to one more day. What harm could you do me in any case?

Exit Creon and attendants

357

Chorus:

Poor, unfortunate woman! Of all the things you must suffer! What will you do now? Where is there a friendly family for you, where is the house, what place will you find to give you a haven for your terrible fate. What an inescapable tempest the gods have thrown you into, Medea!

Medea:

There’s no denying it. Everything around me has turned sour. Yet –

Yet don’t think that all is lost. Don’t think that at all.

Both, the newlyweds and their in-laws still owe a great deal. Their debt has not yet been fully paid. Do you think that just now I begged and cajoled for no reason at all? On the contrary. I did it because I had a scheme, a plan which would give me some advantage. Do you think I would have spoken to him in such a manner, touched his hands even.

And he! Oh, what a stupid man he is! He could have sent me away today, immediately! Sent me away from his country right here and now and destroy all my plans; but no, he let me stay.

One more day!

One more day to execute my plans. To kill three of my worst enemies: A father, a daughter, a husband!

She’s thinking and planning

376

There are many ways of doing the deed. Many. But which would be the best? Set fire to the wedding room? Or quietly enter it with a sharp blade and plunge it between their ribs?

No, there is a catch to this. What if they caught me as I was entering their house, trying to put my plan to practice and killed me? My enemies would laugh at me.

No, I shall follow my usual way, the way at which I am most experienced: The way of poison!

Yes! I shall poison them!

Still…

Let’s say my plan had succeeded. The enemies are dead. Which city will then receive me? What stranger will give me asylum, a house where I may feel safe?

No one! Of course no one.

So I shall wait a little longer and if someone offers me some protection, some little castle, a solid little castle, then I shall perform the murderous deed quietly and expertly.

And if a black despair rages all around me, I’ll take the matter to the very end and raise the sword with my own hands; and if it’s written by the gods that I shall die, die I will after I kill the newly married couple.

None of them will bring the suffering to my heart none, while I have Queen Hecate’s temple in my hearth. She is the goddess I respect the most, she my protector and she my helper.

I’ll make a bitter affair of their wedding. Bitter and miserable and bitter their family and bitter they’ll feel my exile from here.

401

Well, then! Make use of all your wisdom, Medea! Make use of all the knowledge you possess about magic and sacred crafts. Leave none out. Think and find schemes. Go forward with your terrible deed. This is the hour of showing the strength of your heart. Your suffering is before you. You can see it clearly. You must not become the subject of mockery by the scattered seed of Sisyphos and Jason’s new wife; you, the daughter of immortal Sun.

You know what to do, Medea. You know exactly how to go about the affair.

We, women might be awful at doing something good but we are very capable when doing something evil. No one is better than us.

410

Chorus:

The order of things has changed. The holy waters of the rivers flow

Upward

Justice and all things human turn

Backward

Men’s thoughts are evil now and their belief in the gods is

Gone.

And I can see that the coming stories will turn women’s

Reputation

To that of a glorious and honourable gender.

Their name will not longer be foul.

Old poets will stop singing our faithlessness, taking advantage of the fact that

Phoebos Apollo has not blessed us with the sacred gift of poetry.

Or else, I, too, would be composing songs against men –

Time’s experience give us much material to sing about both of us and of men.

431

And you, Medea, you left your family home with a maddened heart, passed through the sea’s giant twin rocks, to come and live here in a foreign land. They’ve taken your wedding bed away and then, dishonoured and fate-stricken they send you into exile.

Gone is the respect for the sacred oath and there’s no shame left within Greece. Shame has flown to the sky.

Luckless Medea! You have no fatherland to give you solace or protection from your suffering and your house and husband are used by another queen, one more powerful than you.

Enter Jason

446

Jason:

To Medea

This is not the first time I’ve noticed what great evil excessive anger is. I’ve noticed this many times. You, for instance, could have easily stayed on here, in your own home, had you obeyed the wishes of your superiors and kept your mindless words to yourself. It’s because of these mindless words of yours that you’re being sent away.

I don’t care about myself. I don’t care if you never stop yelling that Jason is the worst of all men. But you’ve spoken out about the king. Far too much. And now you’re paying the price of that excess.

Exile.

I’ve often softened the anger of the kings against you; because I wanted you to stay here but you, you never stopped uttering your insults against them. So, here’s your reward for it.

Exile.

459

Still and all, here I am, with my love for you intact, to make sure that you and the children don’t leave this land lacking money or anything else. Exile carries enough hardship as it is.

Even though you hate me, I’ll never wish you any harm.

Medea:

Hateful, miserable man! Words defy my tongue to put together an adequate insult for your sort of cowardice! You dare come here, to us! You! You, most hated by all the generations of mortals and immortals alike - and by me!

No, this is not “daring!” It takes no courage to lift your eyes and look upon the friends whom you destroyed. This is not courage. No! This is the worst of all human flaws. It’s shame.

It is good you came though. It’s good because I’ll be able to tell you what I feel and placate my heart somewhat and have yours taste my bitterness.

Let me first tell you that I had saved your life. Those Greeks who were with you when you came on the ship Argo, know this. When you were made to yoke the fire-spewing bulls and sow that deadly field with dragon’s teeth.

And it was I who also saved your life by killing the sleepless dragon that guarded the golden fleece with the coils of its body.

And again, it was I who had betrayed my father and my home to come with you to Pelios’ Iolcos, not moved by mind but by mindless heart.

And finally it was I who had killed Pelios in the most abominable way, by his own children so as to save you from every fear.

And though I did all this for you, most disgraceful of all men, you betrayed me and even though we had children you took another wife. If you had no children then it was possible for someone to forgive your act of preferring this new marriage.

Oaths are of no consequence for you these days.

Nor do I care what you think about gods. Are they the same as they always were or are they different? Nor if there are new laws for mortals to obey. To me you’ve broken all oaths and you know it.

496

She raises her right hand

Poor hand! He has grasped you so often. My poor knees! Hand and knees! How often we were deceived by this coward! How often we’ve missed out on our hopes!

Yet… come now. I’ll speak to you as one would speak to a friend. Not because I shall gain anything by doing so but because by your answers you shall be seen all the more a coward.

Tell me then, Jason. Where can I go now? Tell me! Shall I go back to my father’s home and fatherland which I betrayed so as to come here with you? Or shall I go to the poor wretched daughters of Pelias? How well they’ll receive me since I’ve killed their father!

Because the truth falls like this: I have become a most hated woman because of you! Hated by both, my own folk in my own country and by folks I should have never hurt. And for all this, I’ve become the envy of all the women in Greece and I, poor fool, think of you as the best, most faithful husband. Me! Me as I am going off into exile alone, with my children.

What great praise this is for a new groom, to have his poor children and the woman who had saved his life wandering about lost, away from their home.

Prays to Zeus

Oh Zeus! You gave such obvious signs for men to tell the difference between genuine gold and fake and yet you gave not a hint for people to tell who’s a good man and who an evil!

520

Chorus:

Friend against friend! An anger most implacable!

Jason:

Ha! I need to be a very capable sailor to escape the tempest of your words, woman. Excellent at the wheel and at the sails to slide past the whirlwind of your words.

Such a bloated ego! How much you’ve exaggerated your beneficence, woman!

Of all our gods I can only call Afrodite to help me with my sailing and you’re intelligent enough to understand why I say this but you don’t want to admit it. You don’t want to admit that it was Eros only, Eros with his faultless arrows who persuaded you to save me and nothing else. However I won’t examine this in detail since, to be honest, there were moments when I found you useful, though I’ll prove to you that you’ve received far more than what you gave for my salvation.

Firstly, you are now living in a Greek land and not one inhabited by barbarians and so you enjoy Greek justice and Greek laws, instead of simply submitting to the law of the strongest.

Secondly, you’ve become famous and all the Greeks know of your wisdom, whereas if you lived in your own land, at the end of the world, no one would say a word about you.

As for me, I wanted neither endless wealth nor the voice of Orpheus himself. Nor would I have the fame of a fortunate man.

So much for the things I’ve done, answering your long speech about the golden fleece.

As for my marriage to the princess about which you disparage me, I prove to you that I’ve begun this affair, not only as a wise and well-tempered man but it’s how your best friend would also behave.

551

So listen!

Once I’ve arrived here, here in Iolcos, full of suffering and woes, totally lost as to what I should do next, how could I an exile, escape all this? I was lucky to come across this marriage and I took the opportunity. What a better escape was there than this young Princes? The king’s own daughter?

And I married her, not because I turned away from your love, as you think because of your jealousy, nor because of love for my new wife, nor yet because of a desire to have even more children. No, those I have are enough! I am well satisfied on that score.

No, I’m doing all this because I want us to live well, missing out on nothing. I am well aware just how much people shun the poor. Then, I also wanted my children to be brought up equal to my birth and to have other children who’ll become their brothers and equals. That’s why I’ve decided to unite the two families and to live happily.

What do you need the other children for? Me? It is of benefit to me to have those who will be born in order to help those I have now. Am I wrong? Surely, even you wouldn’t disagree, had the pain of losing your wedding bed not hurt you so much.

569

But then again, that’s how you women are! When the wedding bed is maintained all is well –you’re fully satisfied. But when something goes astray with that bed, everything - good things, beautiful things and things of use are turned into hateful things!

By Zeus! It would have been far better if men, somehow gave birth and women simply didn’t exist. How happy men would be then!

Chorus:

What you said was eloquently put, Jason. Nevertheless, my own heart says that you should not have betrayed your wife.

Medea:

I differ in many ways to many folk. What I believe, for example is the eloquent misfit deserves the greater punishment because, thinking that his eloquence and pretty words will get him out of any injustice, he has the audacity to commit even greater evil. Yet such men should not be considered wise.

It is the same with you, Jason. Don’t just stand there pretending that you are an honourable man and a great orator because just one word from my lips will topple you completely. Simply put, if, indeed you were an honourable man, you would have tried to persuade me that this new wedding was a good thing before you did, instead of doing it in secret.

Jason:

Oh, sure! I can see it now! You would be really understanding then, wouldn’t you, about my marriage! You can’t rid yourself of this dreadful anger of yours even now!

591

Medea:

No, that’s not what bothered you Jason! That’s not it at all! What, in fact bothered you was that you would be entering your old age still married to a foreigner.

Jason:

I’ve told you before and I’m telling you again. I have not married into royalty out of love. I did so because I wanted to save you and to give to my children royal siblings, from the same blood, who will protect our household.

Medea:

I hope I’m never given such a joy by means of such a bitter life and such a wealth by means of such a sad soul.

Jason:

One day, Medea you’ll think differently and you’ll act more wisely. Let not joy ever appear to you as something bad and happiness as unhappiness.

Medea:

You mock me. You mock me because you have a place to stand on, a house, yet I will be thrown out of here, alone and desolate.

Jason:

Accuse no one else, woman. You’re the cause of your own fate.

Medea:

Why is that? Is it perhaps because I have married and betrayed my husband?

Jason:

No, but because you’ve uttered sacrilegious cursed to the royal family.

Medea:

True. Yes, it’s true. And I did so not only to them but to your own household as well.

Jason:

Bah! I’m not interested in what you have to say now. Just tell me if you want some money before you and the children leave. I’d be quite happy to provide you with plenty of that and with plenty of referrals to my friends. They’ll do everything in their power to help you. Reject the offer and you’ll prove yourself to be a fool, accept it and calm your anger and your benefits will be many.

614

Medea:

I need neither your money nor your friends. Gifts from an evil man are of no use at all.

Jason:

Fine! But remember I, on my part, have the gods as my witness. They know that I am ready to provide you and the children with anything you need. You, on the other hand, reject all the good things offered to you and arrogantly send away those who want to help you. For this, you’ll suffer even worse.

Medea:

Go! Go now! The longer you stay away from your little home the more your heart suffers for your new bride.

Enjoy your marriage!

Slyly, knowingly. She’s now thinking of the plot she is devising against his whole household.

Though, perhaps, with God’s aid, you’ll see that this… this new marriage of yours is not what it seems to be. Perhaps you will come regret it.

Exit Jason

627

Chorus

When Aphrodite arrives in the hearts of people, with no fuss and with no exaggerated madness, she is a very enjoyable visitor but, alas, overwhelming lust brings neither honour nor glory to no one.

Oh, my Lady Afrodite! I sincerely hope you don’t send any of your unfailing golden arrows, dipped in lust to me!

I hope, wisdom, the most treasured gift of the gods protects me from that misfortune.

Don’t, Afrodite, don’t plant into my heart improper love and send me all the curses that go with it: Hatred, jealousy, endless fights. Instead, dear Lady, protect marriage and grand honour to the peace-loving couples.

How I love my land and my home!

I hope I’ll never lose them! Let me suffer the worst poverty and hunger, the most bitter of deprivations but let me die before I see the day when I lose my land and my home! There’s certainly no greater ache than losing one’s fatherland.

No one came to console you Medea. In your worst hour neither your city nor any of your friends stood by you. I know this not through some rumour but because I saw it with my own eyes. Yet you have suffered the greatest misfortune.

I hope whoever has a clear conscience over this, whoever does not honour his friends, dies a wretched and miserable man. He is certainly not a friend of mine!

Enter Aigeas. Happy.

663

Aigeas:

A joyful day to you Medea. I give you the best greeting anyone can give to his friends.

Medea:

And a joyful day to you, too, Aigeas, son of wise Pandion. Where have you come from?

Aigeas:

From the ancient temple of Apollo.

Medea:

Why go to that oracle in the centre of the Earth?

Aigeas:

I needed to ask the oracle what I need to do to have children.

Medea:

For God’s sake! Are you still without children?

Aigeas:

Unfortunately, yes, Medea. Some God despises us.

Medea:

But how is that possible? Are you not married or is your wife barren?

Aigeas:

No, Medea. I am married.

Medea:

And what did Apollo say to you?

Aigeas:

The god told me words which humans can’t understand that easily.

Medea:

What words. Tell me, if you don’t mind, of course.

Aigeas:

The words were: “Do not untie the foot that sticks out of the skin.”

680

Medea:

And you’ll need to do that before you do what? What land should you reach beforehand?

Aigeas:

Before I return to my own homeland.

Medea:

And what need made you stop here?

Aigeas:

Because someone by the name of Pitheus is the king of Troizen.

Medea:

Quite true. Son of Pelops. A very respectable man, from all accounts.

Aigeas:

I’d like to tell him the oracle, in case he can give me some understanding of it.

Medea:

Very possible because the man is a very wise one and one most experienced in such matters.

Aigeas:

Yes, not only that but he’s also a great friend of mine.

Medea:

I hope you’ll always be happy and to succeed in your endeavours.

Aigeas:

But… Medea, why are your eyes so sad, your face so pale?

690

Medea:

My husband, Aigeas is the worst man in existence.

Aigeas:

What? What do you mean, Medea? Tell me, what bothers you?

Medea:

Jason has been unfaithful to me even though I did nothing to him.

Aigeas:

But how? What happened?

Medea:

He has married another woman who will be the mistress in my own house.

Aigeas:

What? He dared do such an atrocious thing?

Medea:

Not only that but now he won’t even turn to look at those whom he previously loved.

Aigeas:

But… what made him do it? Has he fallen in love with someone else or has he simply turned from you?

Medea:

Lust. He is not the sort, born to be faithful to those he loves.

Aigeas:

Well, to hell with him, if he is as you say.

700

Medea:

Suddenly he fell in love with royalty. He wanted to be related to the royal family.

Aigeas:

So would have him as a son-in-law?

Medea:

Creon, King of Corinth.

Aigeas:

So it’s true then. Your sadness is truly justified, Medea.

Medea:

I’m absolutely devastated and still they are sending me into exile from here!

Aigeas:

Here’s a new catastrophe! But why?

Medea:

Creon is sending me away from Corinth.

Aigeas:

Surely Jason does not agree with this? Another fault in Jason’s character.

Medea:

With his words he says he doesn’t want this but secretly, inside him he hopes it happens.

Aigeas! Please!

By your beard and your seed, I beg you! Feel pity for this poor soul. Don’t overlook me. As an exile, receive me in your home, in your land. And may the gods grand you your wishes. May you have children and may your death be a happy end to a long and contented life for you.

Aigeas, you’ve no idea what you’ve stumbled upon when you saw me. I promise you, I will make it possible for you to have children. I know of drugs that have a very dependable potency.

719

Aigeas:

Of course! I’ll will help you, most readily, for a number of reasons. One is for the sake of the gods, another because you have promised me children, a thing which I desire most deeply. So, if you come to my land, I’ll try to protect you because I love justice. However, let me tell you, Medea, let me tell you right now, I’m not able to take you from here, with me. If you want to come to my place, by all means, do so. I shall not deliver you to anyone. So, leave from here on your own because I do not want to be held responsible for your disappearance, particularly by my friends.

731

Medea:

Could you reassure me with an oath that all these things you’re offering me will happen?

Aigeas:

Don’t you believe me, Medea or is there something holding you back?

Medea:

Of course I believe you but Pelios’ family and Creon are my enemies so if you’ve sworn an oath, you’d be prohibited by it if they come to you and try to take me by force. You would be tied by that oath. But if you just give me your word, without oath to the gods, perhaps they’ll be able to persuade you with their suggestions and you could go over to their side and become their friends. I’m a weak creature whereas they are wealthy kings.

741

Aigeas:

You’re very wise, indeed. I see quite a foresight in your words and since you wish it, I shall do so. It will provide me with some safety as well because I’ll have a strong reason to give to your enemies for not surrendering you up to them. Both of us will gain safety by this oath.

Tell me then the gods to whom you want me to swear the oath.

Medea:

Swear by Earth and by Apollo, my grandfather, as well as the whole generation of gods.

Aigeas:

But what should I swear for?

Medea:

Swear that, for as long as you live, you will not exile me from your land, nor surrender me to my enemies, if they ever ask for me.

Aigeas:

I swear by the Earth and by the bright light of Apollo that I shall do all those things you just said.

Medea:

Good enough. But if you break your oath, what then?

Aigeas:

I shall suffer what all mortals who disrespect the gods suffer.

Medea:

Well, then, dear friend, go in peace and happiness. All will be well and I shall come to your city as soon as I have accomplished my wishes here.

759

Chorus:

And may Hermes, son of Maia, protector of the traveller, guard your journey, Aigeas and may all your wishes come true. You seem like a kind and generous man.

Exit Aigeas

Medea:

Thank you, Zeus and your Justice! Thank you, too, Light of Apollo! Now, we will be victorious against our enemies.

The plan can now move forward. Now there is hope to punish my enemies! I was in a ruthless tempest of troubles until this man came and brought me inside a safe harbour. There then, I shall unfurl my stern sails and drop my anchor before I enter the city walls of Athens.

Enter Nurse

And now, I shall tell you all my plans but expect no words of joy.

Firstly, I shall send my servant to Jason to tell him to come here.

Then, I shall mock him, lie to him, telling him with sweet words that I think that all his plans are good and that his betrayal and his marriage to the Princess are both, wise and a good thing for all of us! I’ll also beg him to let my children stay here, not because I want them left here as objects of ridicule but so that I can use my cunning to murder the King’s daughter!

Then, I’ll send the boys to her bearing gifts, with a delicately woven dress and a golden crown. They will hand these gifts to her and ask her to let them stay here. These gifts will be steeped in such a deadly poison that she will die a most horrible death. She and whoever touches her.

790

And now I change my words. I shudder with fear for the deed that must be done – right after that and by me! I will have to murder my children. No one can save them, no one! Kill them and I kill Jason’s home! Then I will leave this land. Escape the consequences of this most unholy act because…the anger of a city is intolerable to me.

Well, so be it!

What is the point of living?

There is no land, nor home, nor any means to escape my suffering. Poor wretch! What a dreadful mistake I’ve made, leaving my own father’s house and trusting the words of a Greek.

Still, with God’s help, the vengeance shall be mine. Because he’ll see no more his own children, born by me, nor will he see any children by her. That black soul, too, shall die a black death with my poisons. Let no one think of me weak and evil, nor without humanness. Quite the contrary. I am most friendly to my friends and most fearsome to my enemies. It’s only people like me who live a life of glory.

811

Chorus:

Since you’ve trusted your words with me, as I wish you no harm and wanting to observe our laws, I ask you not to go ahead with the execution of this deed.

Medea:

Don’t waste your words. Of course, it’s easy for you to talk like this since you don’t suffer like I do.

Chorus:

How could ever think you could kill your own children, woman?

Medea:

I could because this deed will make my husband even more miserable!

Chorus:

But you, too, will feel just as miserable!

Medea:

That may be so… But we’ve finished with words now. Nurse, go and bring Jason here. Now, mind, I trust you to be discreet. If you love your mistress and if you are a true woman, say nothing to him of what I’ve decided.

824

Chorus:

Descendants of Erichtheus, for ever happy and contented, children of the blessed gods, nourished by the glorious wisdom of a free land. People who have always lived within the brightest air in which, it is told, the golden crested Harmonia gave birth to

the nine Pierian Muses.

Where, it is also told, Cypris Afrodite, drew water from the cool founts of the bejewelled Kifissos and mingled it with the sweet breath of the soft airs of fields and mountains. There, where she adorns her hair with the sweet rose-scented garland and, they also say, she sends Eros to the keep company with Wisdom, for ever his aid in every virtue.

Eros and Wisdom, together!

To Medea

846

How then this city, this most welcoming city, whose rivers are blessed, will receive you, a most cursed woman, murderess of her own babies?

Think, woman, think how you will plunge your knife into your children!

Think, woman the degree of murder to which your hand will reach!

They fall to their knees and shout

Medea!

We kneel before you and beg you! We beg you by every possible means! Don’t kill your children!

Where will your heart and your hand draw the dreadful courage to do this deed?

How will your turn your eyes towards your children and kill them, without being flooded with tears?

No!

No, Medea! You will not endure it. You will not endure their knee-delivered pleas to you, not to paint your hand with their blood. Your heart will not endure it!

Enter Jason

865

Jason:

I’ve come because you’ve sent for me and even though you hate me, your wish will be granted.

Medea:

Jason, my wish is that you forgive me for all the things I’ve said to you before. For my sake, Jason, have a little more patience with me. We had many sweet moments together.

I’ve weighed everything well, Jason and then I said to myself, “What a fool, I am! What a fool I must be to show such animosity to friends who gave me wise counsel? Why did I want to become an enemy to my rulers and to my husband, who did something of such a great benefit to us, to take a Princess as a wife and to give siblings to my children? When will I stop this stupid anger of mine? What is wrong with me that I suffer so much with things which the gods brought to me in such a wonderful way? Can’t I realise that I have my own children and that I am an exile from my own, native land and friendless?”

882

I thought of all this and decided that both, my anger and my thinking were totally wrong. Now, I praise you and your wise actions in uniting our families and realise that I was unwise in not immediately agreeing with you and helping you with your plan. I should have been there, during your wedding ceremony to be the first to embrace your bride, my new relative.

But, that’s how we women are. Deep down well-meaning but still, always women. You, however, must not do as the fools do nor address foolishness with foolishness.

However, let’s forget all that. I admit that I thought badly of all this but now everything has changed.

Walks to the door, opens it and calls at the children

Come children, come out and kiss your father.

Enter the two boys with the tutor.

Come, talk with him. Come and make friends with your mother again, whom you hated so much before. The harsh words have come to an end now. We are friends.

Here, hold my right hand.

The children obey and at the very first touch, Medea turns with horror.

Oh, God! God, how my mind unfurls such dreadful horrors!

She turns back to them and addresses them gently.

How sweetly you extend your little hands! How long will you live my darlings?

Sobbing

Stupid woman! How easily my tears flow, what a timid coward I am! Hah! It’s that long quarrel your father and I had. It’s over now but still the tears flow without control.

906

Chorus:

My eyes, too, are bursting with heart-felt tears. Let’s hope the horror ends here.

Jason:

I applaud you, Lady for your words and I hold no ill will for your past actions. Anger is a natural thing for women when their husband is planning other marriages. But, I see that your heart has turned towards other, more worthy sentiments and, eventually you realised which is the better decision. So act the wise women.

And you, too, children. Your father has not neglected you but, with god’s help he did what he could. I’m confident that one day you and your brothers will become the best citizens of Corinth

Give yourselves some years first. Grow up a bit and, rest assured that your father and the gods who love us will take good care of us. Long life to you!

My only wish is to see you one day, well brought up, strong and healthy, braver than my enemies.

To Medea who has turned to hide her tears.

But, you, Medea, why turn your pale white face away and flood it with tears? Are you not pleased with my words?

Medea:

No, it’s not that. I’m overwhelmed with thoughts about the children.

Jason:

Courage, woman! I shall do all I can about the children.

Medea:

Of course. I know. I have no doubt about that but women, you see, are weak creatures and their eyes are constantly full with tears.

Jason:

But why? What’s the reason for your tears?

930

Medea:

Amid more tears

Because it was I who gave birth to them, Jason and just then, when you wished them a long life, suddenly I was hit by some bitter uncertainty as to whether that wish would be accomplished.

I’ve already said most of what I brought you here to tell you and what little is left is this: Jason, since the king has decided to exile me, quite rightly too, since I’d only be a terrible nuisance because of our animosity, I’ll go but ask Creon to let the children stay here and be brought up by you, by your hands.

Jason:

I’ll certainly try but I don’t know if I’ll succeed in persuading him.

Medea:

If you can’t then talk to your wife to plea with her father to let the children stay.

Jason:

That’s a better idea. I’m sure I’ll be able to manage that.

945

Medea:

Yes, you will, if she has a heart like that of all the rest of us women and I’ll help you with this, Jason. I’ll send the children to her with gifts which people love: finely woven cloth and a golden garland.

To one of her attendants

Quickly, one of you go and bring those gifts.

Exit one of the attendants

Your wife, Jason is lucky not only for one reason but for a great many of them.

Not only did she get for herself a man most worthy, but she also inherited a jewel which my own grandfather, Apollo handed down to his descendants.

Enter the attendant holding a basket with the cloth and the crown. She gives it to Medea.

Come, my children, take in your hands these wedding gifts and take them to the happy bride, the Princess. These are not the sort of gifts a bride would refuse.

959

Jason:

You’re such a silly woman, Medea! Do you think there are no dresses or gold in the palace? Why leave yourself short of them? Keep them, don’t give them away.

If my bride truly respects me, then I’m certain she’d get more joy out of hearing my words then receiving your things.

Medea:

Please, don’t interfere, Jason. They say that even the gods are persuaded more by gifts and gold than by a million words. She is the one blessed with luck now. She is young and she reigns, the gods are with her. I, on the other hand, am pleading for my children to stay here; and I’d give my life even and more, let alone gold.

But go, now children. Go into your father’s rich house, find his new Lady, go down on your knees and, handing her these gifts, beg her not to send you away from this land.

Now be careful though, make sure it is her who picks up these gifts with her own hands.

Go, now! Go! Bring me back the happy news that my wish came true.

Exit children with basket. Jason and the Tutor follow them

976

Chorus:

There’s no hope now left for the children’s life. None! They’re heading for their death.

Our poor Princess! She’ll accept the golden gifts and with them, with her own hands, she’ll put them on her blond head. Hades’ gifts! The beauty of these gifts will enchant her and will put on the beautiful mantle and the golden crown and so, she will become the bride of the dead. This is the trap, the deadly fate she’ll fall into, the poor wretch.

And you, you, ill-fated Jason, your marriage will be your dire fortune. You’ve become the son-in-law of kings without knowing that you’ve sent your wife and children to a gruesome death!

Unfortunate man! You have no knowledge of what dire Fate awaits you.

Still, I sigh at your pain, too, poor Medea! You will kill your own children because your husband has betrayed you and because he left you for another woman.

Enter Tutor with children

Tutor:

Madam, the children are safe. Here they are. They won’t need to leave the country and the Princes joyfully received the gifts with her own hands. You need not worry about them any more, madam.

Medea:

Tearfully

Oh!

Tutor:

Madam, what is it? What made you so afraid? I have brought you good news! Why turn your face? Why not receive these news with joy?

Medea:

Oh!

Tutor:

Madam, this behaviour is not in tune with my news.

Medea:

Oh! Alas! A million times alas!

Tutor:

Have I brought bad news instead, dear Lady? I thought the news were joyous!

Medea:

You brought the news which you brought. You can be blamed of nothing, old man.

Tutor:

But why have your eyes darkened so much? Why the flood of tears?

Medea:

Because I must, old man, because I must. It was the will of the gods and it was accomplished by my own schemes.

1015

Tutor:

Have courage, my Lady. Your children will bring you back down here again some day.

Medea:

Back down here? No, my dear old man. Before that happens, I, poor woman that I am, shall be taking others down there with me. Indicating the Under World

Tutor:

My lady, you’re not the first woman who will miss her children. People must meet their ill luck with courage.

Medea:

Fine. Go now and prepare everything the children usually need during the day.

Exit Tutor

Oh, my darling children! My sweet, darling children! You now have a city and a house to live in, while you leave me in misery and loneliness. You will always be without your mother and I will now leave for another country, exiled, before I enjoy you, before I see your joy, before I see your weddings, before I dress your brides, before I fix your wedding beds before I hold your wedding candles!

How miserable my arrogance has made me!

There were other things in my mind as I brought you up, my darlings. I had other things in my mind when I agonised and burned under the awful pains of your births.

So many hopes! This ill-fated woman had nourished so many hopes for you. To look after me in my old age and I leave this world to adorn my body with your own hands, a thing which every parent hopes for.

What a heavy loss the loss of this hope is!

Now I shall live an unhappy life, bitter and without the slightest joy and you, your sweet eyes will no longer see your mother. You’ll be living a different life.

1040

Oh! But why, my darlings? Why look at me like this? Why… why give me a smile like that? As if it were your last?

Ladies, what should I do? My heart melted with that last smile of theirs.

No, I can’t go on with it. I can’t go on with these plans.

Old plans, leave my head!

I shall take my children back with me. With me! Out of this country! Why should I suffer a double suffering? To make their father suffer with their suffering and me suffer a double suffering?

No! That I cannot do! Out! Out old plans!

She thinks for a few moments

Oh what a fool I am! What’s wrong with me? Do I want my enemies to mock me? Should I not punish them?

No, I must go through with these plans! What a silly, coward this heart of mine is! How it bends to soft words.

Right! Off you go, kids! Back into the house!

She looks around

And if anyone here thinks the sacrifice I’m about to make is an unholy thing, let him stay away. My hand will not shun the deed.

1056

She takes the children by the hand and moves towards the door. Then suddenly stops. Turns, lets go of their hands and moves forward.

No! No, my heart, no! Don’t do this! Leave them! Let these poor children live! Feel sorry for them. Wherever we live they’ll soften my life. Let them live!

No! Again no! By the all the destructive spirits that whirl about in Hades, the spirits that never forget, I cannot leave my children to be killed by my enemies. And killed they will surely be! So, no! If anyone is going to kill them then it shall be me, their birth mother. Their death is fated. Inescapable.

Softly, as if she watching a ghostly event

Ha! I can see it! That’s right! She has just placed the crown on her head. It’s in flames! The young Princess is burning in her mantle!

Out of the vision.

Abruptly changing topic

I need to speak with my children now. Now I’m entering the dreaded path and I’m sending these two into a worse path still.

Give me your right hand, my darlings. Let mummy kiss them.

Children obey

Sweet little hands… darling, most loved faces, tiny bodies wonderful hearts! I hope you’ll be happy even down there because your earthly happiness was stolen from you by your father.

What a delight it is for me to embrace you! What tender flesh, what scented breath you have my sweethearts!

But no! Let’s go! I can’t endure this much longer. How can I even look at you? The pain is overwhelming. I know only too well how horrible is the crime I am about to commit. Logic makes it clear for me but anger, the only cause of man’s most terrible suffering conquers my logic.

1080

Chorus:

I’ve often thought about things, perhaps more deeply than a woman should. Pondered over an argument for too long, considered its subtle points. You see, the Muse is within us women, also. Not all of us, of course but enough to make one say justifiably that a woman’s mind is not totally without a Muse.

So I have this view that those who have no children –children to have and to know- are much happier than those who do have them. This is because whilst the childless folk don’t know if children are a good thing or bad, they escape a great deal of concern and worry, whereas those who do have in their house these little blossoms, I see them worrying all day long about how to raise them properly and how to leave them good inheritance once they die. And after all that, one doesn’t know whether all this effort was made towards children who were worthy or unworthy.

And at the end, of course, remains something else, worse then everything else.

Let’s suppose that the children have grown up, mage themselves a household and turned out well. Sometimes, Death arrives and sends them down to Hades for no good reason at all. Is it right then, for the gods to add this most bitter of all bitter misfortunes, to the children? What is the use of it?

1116

Enter Medea

Medea:

I’ve been watching anxiously for a while now to see how the matter has developed, ladies. Ah, now I can see one of Jason’s men approaching. I can see by his flushed face that he’ll be announcing some new misfortune.

Enter Messenger

Messenger:

Medea! Medea! What a gruesome crime you have committed! Leave! Leave immediately! Leave by whatever means you can! Waste no time! Ship or Carriage, take it but leave now!

Medea:

Why? Whys should I leave? What have I done?

Messenger:

The Princess and Creon, her father, are both dead by your own hand, by your own poisons!

Medea:

Laughs

Thank you, messenger. You’ve brought me the best possible news. I shall think of you as one of my friends and benefactors from now on.

Messenger:

Woman, what are you saying? Have the news made you insane? You have just heard that the whole royal family has been destroyed, yet you’re laughing. Are you not afraid?

Medea:

I, too have something to add to your words, messenger but don’t be in such a rush, my friend. Tell me exactly how they died. My joy will be twice as great if I hear that they died in the most terrible way possible.

1136

Messenger:

The moment your children and their father entered the wedding chambers, we, the servants felt and enormous joy, though we also felt sorrow enough for your misfortune. The word was spread around the palace rooms immediately that you two have abandoned your earlier squabbles and everyone kissed the hands and the blond heads of the children. In fact, I, out of sheer pleasure, forgot myself and followed them all the way into the women’s quarters.

Then our new lady, the one we serve now in your place, had not seen the two boys yet and looked angrily at Jason. Then she saw the children and again resented their entry into her room and with a veil covered her white face and turned it away. But your husband stepped in and quickly calmed her anger.

Jason said to her, “Don’t behave badly to those I love, sweetheart. Don’t be angry and turn your head towards us again. You should love those whom your husband loves and you should accept their gifts. You’ll be asking your father to let them stay here, in Corinth, for my sake, won’t you?”

Then she, when she saw the golden gifts, she couldn’t resist and she promised her husband whatever he asked for.

Just before Jason and the children walked too far from her, the Princess picked up the mantle and put it on her, then she put the golden crown onto her blond head, walked over to the shining mirror to fix her hair and smiled at the soul-less image she saw in there. After that, she got up delirious with joy and went through all the rooms with her white little feet, some times standing on her toes turning to see her body from all sides.

1167

Suddenly though, the whole scene changed. It became awful, horrible to see.

First, the Princess changed colour. She moved back shaken with terror and only just managed to get to the bed and not fall down.

An elderly servant thought it was some ailment delivered to the Princess by Pan or some other god so she began to scream prayers. But the Princess… froth rose up into the Princess’ mouth and then her skin was flushed of all blood, her eyes began to roll back upward. The old woman stopped her prayers and began a sad lament, a dirge full of tears and tearing at her grey hair.

One servant runs to her mistress’ rooms and another rushes to tell the unbearable news to the new groom and from all that running the palace shook from its very foundations.

Then not a moment later –a good runner couldn’t have reached a hundred yards- the Princess came to with a deep groan because now she had to endure a double horror. The golden crown suddenly spewed forth a strange flame around her head, burning it, devouring it, and the fine mantle, the two gifts your children gave her, began to eat away at the tender flesh of the poor girl.

She jumps out of her throne and runs, a bundle of fire, shaking her head, her hair, shaking it this way and that struggling to toss the crown away. But the crown stayed there immovable and as she shook her head the blaze grew doubly fierce.

Eventually, unable to fight the evil attack any more, she fell to the ground, a bundle of death and only the woman who gave birth to her could recognise her.

1197

Where were her eyes? Her face, her beautiful face was gone and from top to bottom she was a mess of blood and flames.

Her flesh… her flesh pealed off her bones like the tears of a pine tree roll off its bark while the poisons fed upon it. A most horrible sight! And us? What could we have done? None of us could touch or approach her dead body. We saw what Fate did to her.

Then her father entered the room unaware of what had happened. He came in, saw his daughter of the ground and immediately fell upon her body.

He screams, holds her tightly in his arms, kisses her with tears in his eyes and says, “My sweet, darling daughter! What terrible God has given you such an awful death? Which awful god took you from me? Me! Me, who has one foot in the grave! Oh! How I’d love to have died with you!”

Then, when the poor old man has quietened his grief a little and tried to stand up, he saw that his weak old body was stuck to the mantle like an ivy string onto the branched of a Daphne bush.

He began a fearsome battle. He tried to stand up onto his weak legs and she to hold him back down. Her body was stuck to his. And as he charged at freeing his leg the old flesh broke away from its bones. Shortly, the ill-fated man gave up the fight and his soul left him. How could he beat such a horror? Such things are not for us to fight with.

1220

Now, they’re lying there, two corpses, a father and a daughter, side by side, a most hideous death, worthy of the deepest grief.

I… I have no idea nor do I care what you’ll do next, Medea. You’ll have to find your escape from this deed of yours alone.

As for me, I’ve said it often: All things accomplished by mortals are mere shadows. Nor am I afraid to say that those people who consider themselves philosophers and know the art of spinning good words and say that man can live in happiness, those men are stupid.

Wealth may make your life a little better than that of your neighbour but it will not give you happiness.

Exit Messenger

Chorus:

It’s obvious that the gods are meting out a great many woes to Jason today. And rightly so.

But you, poor daughter of Creon! We grieve for your terrible suffering. A suffering caused because of your marriage to Jason. How quickly you’re come before Hades’ gates!

Medea:

Enough, my friends!

My mind is made up. I’ve decided to kill my children and to leave this country. I haven’t a moment longer lest someone takes my children and they are slaughtered by some enemy’s hands. Die they must and if that’s the case then better they die by me who gave birth to them.

Come, my heart, arm yourself. This is no time for equivocations. Need has forced this evil. So why wait? Come terrible hand, pick up the knife! Take it and take also the final, the most bitter step, the last step of life. Don’t be a coward now. Don’t think about the love you have for them, the life you gave them.

Today, forget that you have any children at all! Leave the crying for another day.

So what if you’re their murderess?

Their love will follow you for ever - just like misery will.

Exit Medea

1251

Chorus:

Earth!

And you, too, wide and bright Light of Apollo!

Look down, watch this evil woman before she stretches her bloody and murderous hand to kill her children and stop her!

She is the product of your own golden seed, Apollo and it is a terrible thing for the mortals to spill the blood of immortals.

Hold her back, immortal light. Placate her. Send away from this house this evil wretch, this woman who was made bold by the vengeance-seeking Erinyes.

How easily the effort and the years to have these children are to be wasted!

Was it for nothing that you gave birth to these children?

Was it for nothing that you once attacked the gruesome and dark clashing sea rocks?

Why flood your soul with wild hatred that throws you into such hard murders?

Murders!

Murders of one’s own flesh and blood weigh heavily on mortals and huge curses are heaped upon the murderers.

Boys:

From within

Ahhhhh! Noooo!

1273

Chorus:

Ah! Do you hear? Do you hear the children?

Shouts

How harsh is your heart, Medea! How cruel your fate!

Boys:

From within

Boy 1:

Ahhhh! Help me! How can I escape my own mother’s knife?

Boy 2:

I don’t know, brother. We are doomed! Ahhhh!

Chorus:

Asks another member of the chorus. She shouts towards the palace

Ah… I can’t take this any longer!

Shall I go into the house and save the boys?

Boys:

From within

Boy 1:

Come! Come inside! For God’s sake save us! There’s still time! Ah, here she is, knife raised above us! Ahhhh!

Silent pause

Chorus:

Cruel woman! Ill-fated woman! Is it of stone or steel your heart is made of? How can you murder the children you bore?

I know of only one woman, from the olden days, who used her own hand to kill her children. Ino. The gods ripped out her senses and Zeus’ wife sent her off to wonder aimlessly away from her house. The woman then, took her children and jumped into the ocean. A triple drowning. What can be more terrible?

Painful wedding beds! What endless suffering you bring to the mortals!

1293

Enter Jason with two attendants.

Furious, shouting

Jason:

You, ladies, you’ve been standing outside Medea’s house all day. Do you know if that murderess, that criminal, Medea is still in there or has she escaped?

She’d need to hide beneath the Earth, or to make wings and fly if she wants to escape her punishment for what she did to the royal family! And if she thinks that because the killed the heads of this country she’ll be able to leave here unpunished, she’s very much mistaken!

She’ll get her punishment, all right. From those whom she hurt. I’m more concerned right now about the children. I came to save their lives, lest they, too suffer some dreadful fate from the dead as revenge by the relatives of those whom their mother killed.

Chorus:

It’s obvious! You’ve no knowledge of the misfortune you’ve suffered, otherwise your words would be different.

Jason:

Why, what happened? Tell me! Was she after me, as well?

Chorus:

Medea has killed your children with her own hands!

Jason:

What are you saying, woman! Your words are killing me!

Chorus:

Consider your children dead.

Jason:

Where? Where has she killed them? Out here or inside the house?

Chorus:

Open the door, Jason and you’ll see their dead bodies.

Jason

To his attendants

Come, help me break the door down. Quickly, bend those iron bars! The hinges!

Quickly, let me see my children! Let my eyes fall upon this double murder so that I may get vengeance. Hurry!

But before his attendants make their way to the door, Jason throws himself upon it and tries, by his own vain and desperate efforts, to open it

The following dialogue is conducted while Medea is high up, above the stage and behind the wall, inside a golden, brilliant carriage, with the bodies of the two children.

It is what is commonly known as Deus ex Machina.

1317

Medea:

What now, Jason? Why all this shaking and banging at the door? Are you after these dead children and me, their murderess? Don’t waste your energy. Tell me what you want from down there. Your hand, Jason, will never touch me. Look at my carriage! My grandfather, Apollo’s father gave it to me. Look at it! It is a mighty protection against every enemy.

Jason:

What a hateful woman you are, Medea! Evilest of all women. All the gods and I and the whole generation of men abhor you! How could you manage to kill your very own children? Deprive me at the same time of mine?

You’ve destroyed me!

And yet, even though you’ve committed this most loathsome deed, you’re still allowed to see the Sun and the Earth!

Shouts

Medea burn! A thousand courses to you! Now it is all clear to me! Now I understand my mistake, not then!

Not when I took you from a barbaric house and land and brought you to a Greek one, not when I saw you betrayed your father and the land that raised you, not when I saw you kill your own brother so as to climb aboard our beautiful ship Argo. The gods have sent you to me, you evil spirit.

1336

And then, and then you made yourself my wife, you gave birth to our children and then you killed them, too!

A most heinous murder because of lust. Because I left your bed.

No Greek woman would dare do such a thing. What a naïve idiot I was not to have suspected anything! I’ve married you, you! Not a woman but a most destructive enemy! Not a woman but a lioness, whose heart is wilder than the Tuscan Skylla.

A million curses wouldn’t touch you, you loathsome beast, such is the arrogance of your nature.

Go! Get out of my sight, evil woman, killer of your own children.

What is left for me to enjoy now? Not my young wife, not can I chat to my lovely children, whom I raised and lost.

Only grief. Grief and lamentation. What ill fate I have!

1351

Medea:

There are many words I could answer you with, Jason but our God Zeus knows how well I treated you and how I’ve suffered with you. You think that, having turned me into a thing to be ridiculed would make you a happy man? Do you think I’d let you live and mock me? No! Not even Creon himself, nor his Princess would be able to send me away without me first being able to avenge myself.

Sure, call me what you like, Lioness, Tuscan Skylla, whatever you like! My job is done and I took my rightful vengeance.

Jason:

But, you, too, ache and suffer from what you’ve done.

Medea:

True but my pains are eased knowing I’m not the butt of your ridicule.

Jason:

My darling children! What a despicable woman gave birth to you!

Medea:

My darling children! What a despicable man gave you such destruction!

Jason:

They were not murdered by my hand!

Medea:

No, what killed them was the shame and your new marriage.

Jason:

Was an empty bed a good enough reason for your murders?

Medea:

Do you think an empty bed is such a small thing for a woman?

Jason:

For a normal woman yes. But for you, obviously, everything is a catastrophe.

1370

Medea:

Yet… look, they’re not alive! Oh, my darlings! How this tears my heart!

Jason:

They’re alive! And they will throw crushing curses upon your head!

Medea:

The gods know who is the primary cause of their destruction.

Jason:

And they know, too, your hateful soul.

Medea:

By all means, hate me. And I shall hate your sickening voice.

Jason:

And I yours… yet, we can both be easily saved.

Medea:

How? What would you have me do? I, too would love that.

Jason:

Let me bury the children. Let me bury them and grieve for them.

Medea:

Never! Never! They will be buried by my own hands at the temple of Hera of the Cape, at the mountain so that none of my enemies will be able to open their tombs and scorn them, mock them. And I’ll make sure that a ceremony will be held in their honour and for their sinful murder, here in the land of Sisyfos.

And now, I’m leaving for the land of Erichtheus, to live with Aegeas, son of Pandion. You, of course, will die one way or another, beaten over the head by one of your ship’s Argo pieces of wood, since you’ve tasted the bitter end of my marriage.

Jason:

Yet you will be punished by the spirits of Vengeance, the Erinyes and Holy Justice who punishes all the murderers.

1391

Medea:

Which god or spirit will listen to you, Jason, a perjurer who dishonours the strangers?

Jason:

Medea! Medea! Child killer! Despicable woman!

Medea:

Go home, Jason. Go home and bury your wife.

Jason:

I am going! I’m going without my children.

Medea:

You’re still not grieving as you should. Wait till old age come to you.

Jason:

My darling sons!

Medea:

They were darlings to their mother, not to you!

Jason:

Darlings, yes. But it was still you who killed them.

Medea:

Sure, for vengeance’s sake.

Jason:

Ahhhh. Let me at least kiss their beloved lips.

Medea:

Now you want them, now you want to kiss them. Back then you were simply sending them away.

Jason:

In the name of the gods! Let me touch the soft body of my children.

Medea:

No, your words are in vain.

Jason:

Do you hear Zeus? Do you hear how she sends me away, how I suffer from this terrible child killer? This wild lioness?

I cry and grieve for my children as much as I can and I call the gods as witnesses to see that even though you’ve killed them, you won’t let me touch them nor bury them!

I wish I had never seen them murdered by you, I, their father.

1415

Chorus:

Olympian Zeus is most wise. Gods accomplish more things without warning, and so many things which we have expected, of course have not taken place and where no one expected a solution, there a solution appeared.

So ends this story. EURIPIDES’

MEDEA

Translated

By

George Theodoridis

©2005

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

MEDEA

JASON

CREON

AEGEUS

NURSE

TUTOR

MESSENGER

CHILDREN OF MEDEA

CHORUS OF CORINTHIAN WOMEN

Night. Dull sound of thunder. Flashes of lightning. In the background, in heavy shadows, the house of Jason and Medea.

From within we hear Medea’s scream

Medea:

Gods! Gods, be my witness!

Sharper clashes of thunder. More frequent flashes of lightning.

Fade down.

Again we hear Medea screaming:

Medea:

What is the use of living? Come thunder, come lightning of the sky, come and crash upon my head! I cannot stand the pain! Hades, come! Come Hades and cut down this wretched life of mine!

Crescendo of thunder and lightning. Hold for a moment or two

Fade out and cut all FX

Slowly, as if agonisingly, fade in day.

Jason and Medea’s house is clearly shown in the background. Two doors, one near the centre, the other, a smaller, to Stage left. Medea uses the centre door, Nurse and Tutor the smaller one.

Enter the Nurse. Tired. Spent a sleepless night. Shakes her head in despair.

Nurse:

How I wish!

How I wish!

That fast ship, Argo should not have made it past those cursed clashing rocks on its way to Colchis!

How I wish!

That forest of Pelium, clogged full of hardy pines, had not supplied the sturdy sailors with oars! They wouldn’t have sailed on to get the golden fleece, as they were ordered by Pelias then and nor would my mistress Medea, be here now!

She had left her own home - her heart torn with love for Jason- to sail for the great castles of Iolcos and then to this place, here, in Corinth, where she lives with Jason and their children.

Oh, but she had managed to convince Pelias’ daughters to murder him first!

When she first arrived here, the local folk loved her. They saw in her a perfect wife for Jason. Perfect in every way. Never argued with Jason. Always compromising, always accommodating –and that, you see, is how a woman earns her safety: do not argue with your husband!

That was then.

16

Now, there’s nothing but arguing, nothing but hatred, nothing but poison, nothing but –

Jason betrayed his children and his wife, then he married the Princess, King Creon’s daughter, Glauce and now he sleeps in a royal marital bed. Meanwhile, Medea -the Fates fully against her and wholly dejected- screams and cries at him, asking him to remember his promises to her. Asks him to remember the mighty oaths he swore for her. She calls upon the Gods to bear witness to the way Jason pays her back for her obedience and compromise and all the accommodating and all the love she affords him.

She lies there –from the moment she found out about her husband’s adultery – she lies there, poor wretch, unable to put a bite in her mouth, her body completely abandoned to the pain, the tears wearing away her days and her eyes, her face, pinned hard to the ground.

The kind voices of her friends, which one by one visits her and tries to advise her, to comfort her, those voices sound like ocean storms clashing madly upon rocks. Now and then she turns her pale face and all alone, cries heavily about her beloved father, the land and the house she has abandoned so as to be with a man who’s betrayed her.

It is now that the poor woman realised how horrible it is to leave one’s homeland. Her dire fortune taught her that bitter lesson. She hardly looks up at her children any more, she gets no joy in that. I rather think she hates them and I’m afraid…

I’m afraid that some evil thoughts might be taking over her mind. There’s something wild about her face and I’m afraid –

I’m afraid that she might do something dreadful. I don’t think she’ll be able to cope well with this injustice.

I know my mistress well and I fear her. I’m afraid she’s capable of working her way into the palace, enter the king’s palace and murder him by plunging a sharp knife into his body and into the body of Jason.

I’m afraid.

I’m afraid because she has a sly mind. I’m afraid because whoever crosses swords with her will most certainly lose.

Enter Tutor with the two boys.

Ahhhh! And here are the children! Playtime over, darlings? What few cares enter the minds of children. How little they know of their mother’s awes! Children don’t like to think ugly thoughts.

49

Tutor:

Old woman, servant in my mistress’ household, why are you standing here, in front of the gates, all alone, wailing the pains of your soul? How will Medea manage without you?

Nurse:

Old man, tutor of Jason’s children, a Lady’s woes are her servant’s woes too, that is if they are good servants. Their souls ache just as much.

I’m out here, old man, because my heart urged me to tell –both, Earth and Sky- my Lady’s problems.

Tutor:

So the poor woman hasn’t stopped crying yet?

Nurse:

If only! This trepidation has only just started and it’s still a long way from its middle.

Tutor:

She’s such a foolish woman! If I may be allowed to use such words about my mistress. And she still knows nothing of the new problems yet!

Nurse:

What new problems? What is it old man? Don’t keep it from me!

Tutor:

Nothing. Nevermind. I’ve changed my mind about telling you. I shouldn’t.

65

Nurse:

Come, old man! By your grey beard, I beg you! We are both servants in the same household. Don’t keep anything from me. In any case, if I have to, I can keep my mouth sealed.

Tutor:

All right then, here it is!

I heard that king Creon will be sending Medea and these here children into exile. I heard that when I was near where the old folk play drafts, by the holy spring of Peirini. It was some old man who said that. No one saw me when I was there.

Creon will be sending them to Corinth, the old man said. I’ve no idea if this rumour is true or not. I sure hope it isn’t.

Nurse:

But what of Jason? Would he let this happen to his children? Let me go into exile just because he has a dispute going with his wife?

Tutor:

New loves erase the old ones, old woman. Jason no longer loves Medea and this household.

Nurse:

Well, we are gone then! New troubles arrive even before the old ones have gone.

Tutor:

But you, since it’s not yet time for our mistress to know, be quiet and say nothing.

Nurse:

To the boys

My little boys! If only you knew what your father is really like! He’s my master so I won’t curse him but he’s shown himself to be cruel to his own family!

85

Tutor:

And who’s the better father in the world! They’re all the same. More love for themselves than for others. For bed or for profit, justly or wrongly their father hates these children.

Nurse:

To the children

Off you go now kids! Inside, quickly!

To the Tutor

And you, old man, keep them away from Medea for as long as she is in such deep melancholy because… because just a short while ago I saw her throwing them a strange and dreadful look, as if she wanted to do them some awful harm. Her anger will not subside until she lets it clash full and hard upon someone, anyone - friend or enemy. I know that very well!

From within:

Medea:

Gods! Death! Why don’t you come for me! I cannot take this grief any more! Let me die! Death!

Nurse:

To the children

Hear that, my darlings? Her heart is shaken. Her anger in growing wild. Quickly! Run inside. Don’t let her see you and don’t go near her, my darlings. Watch her carefully darlings. She has a heart of steel and her mind weaves evil. Hurry! Inside with you!

Exit boys and tutor.

106

I could see this a long time ago. The cloud of grief raising the heat of anger high, ever higher as this cloud broadens its cover.

I wish I knew!

If only I knew what hides behind all this grief, what hides inside this angry heart. This heart that will never find peace.

Within

Medea:

Oh! How can I deal with this suffering! Gods, how it hurts! So much pain because of these cursed, hateful sons of a hateful mother. Curse you! Curse you and your deceitful father! Curse your wretched, abominable house! Let it turn to dust.

Nurse:

Oh, Gods! Gods help us all!

In the direction of Medea’s voice

Why the children? What have the children done to you? Are they to blame for their father’s transgressions? Why hate them?

Oh, my poor, poor boys! May the gods protect you from your mother. How I fear for you!

How afraid I am of these royal rages! It’s so hard for them to subside. Kings and queens have been spoiled by power. They’re not used to taking orders. No, they prefer to give them, by far! They’ll act only according to their own wishes.

Oh, how much better it is to live a balanced life: to be an equal among equals.

So far as I am concerned, my wish is to have a quiet, a soft old age –rather than one full of greatness and of wealth. The wisest words are these: Let moderation hold the pride of place.

Moderation is the most useful thing to man and if man holds something else dearer to moderation, he’ll lose. Add to that the wrath of the gods, which will fall most heavily upon his house and destroy him.

Enter the chorus of women, anxiously. They first scatter in distress and then gather round the nurse.

DIRECTOR NOTE: It is up to you to allocate individual lines to the members of your chorus, depending, of course how many you have at your disposal and how kinetic you want the stage to be.

131

Chorus:

I’ve heard her wails! The heavy groans of grief coming from the heart of this unfortunate daughter of Colchis.

I see her pain still hasn’t eased. I’ve heard her agony from my room at the court.

I don’t like this heavy pain she’s suffering, old nurse.

I don’t like the pain that now wrecks this house. Only my own heart knows how dearly I love this home.

Nurse:

Indicating the house behind her

House? What house? The house is gone, my dear. There is no house here. Here there is nothing!

Jason was lured by the royal bed and my mistress cries and wastes away, not a drop of solace from any friends and completely shut off from the world. Not a friend around, nor a drop of sympathy.

Within

Medea:

What is the use of living? Come thunder, come lightening of the sky, come and crash upon my head! I cannot stand the pain! Hades, come! Come Hades and cut down this wretched life of mine!

Chorus:

Did you hear that?

Praying

Zeus! Earth! And you great light! Can you not hear the wailing of this lamentable maiden?

Poor girl! Why the pain? Why this awful pain for a lost bed? Such a pain will soon take you to your grave. Why? Why ask of death? Why ask of such a thing? And just because your beloved has found another woman is it so necessary for your anger to break your heart? Zeus will recompense you. Don’t tear yourself apart mourning a husband who won’t return.

160

Within

Medea:

Great Themis, daughter of Zeus! Great, sacred Artemis! You see well how I’m suffering. Still, I’ve bound my deceitful husband with the bonds of mighty oaths and curses. Curses which should take him and his bride and his palaces! They dared to deceive me.

O, dear home, dear father from whom I parted! Dear brother whom I killed! Shameless woman! I’m a shameless woman! Ohhhh!

Nurse:

You hear that? Do you hear what words she finds to utter and how she calls for Themis understands oaths and Zeus who guards them?

My mistress’ anger will find a hard end.

173

Chorus:

Is it possible for me to go and see her, speak with her, make this weighty anger and awful torture which has taken over her brain, ease a little? Let me continue helping my friends.

Nurse nods agreement

Go then, Nurse and tell her, with friendly words to come out here. Hurry! Before she does something awful to her children. That melancholy of hers seems to deepen by the minute!

Nurse:

Reluctantly

I’ll go and do that but I’m afraid I won’t be able to convince my mistress about anything. I’ll do it! I’ll do it for your sake, even though… even though every time one of her servants approaches her she becomes wild with anger and looks at them with the eyes of a lioness who just gave birth.

People who call old men fools and charlatans are right. They invented songs that please the ear and the table of a dinner and the drinking party, but no one managed to find the songs and melodies to calm the tortured spirit of folk who suffered loss by death or misfortune, losses which ruins their complete households.

It’s for such things that these old men should find songs to sing.

What’s the use of all this happy shouting at the dinners?

A table full of food should suffice their desire for joy. Why all the noisy songs?

Exit Nurse

Medea:

Within

Ahhhhhhh! Gods!

204

Chorus:

I’ve heard the scream of bitter pain, the screm of lamentation. She raised her voice the poor wretch, with curses against the deceiver of her bed, cursing him that he finds his marriage a black one. And she calls Themis, Zeus’ daughter as witness to her suffering. It was she Themis, protector of oaths, who brought her one night through the endless salty sea in the land opposite her own, Colchis, of Greece.

Enter Medea with two attendants.

214

Medea:

Corinthian women. I have come out among you so that you’ll stop talking behind my back, condemning my every action.

I know many people –some directly, with my own eyes and others I’ve heard about- who were born good folk but because they stayed quietly away from society, got themselves the odious reputation of being snobs and conceited individuals.

Man’s eyes alone are inadequate judges of people. A judgement made without knowing a person well could result in hating that person for no reason at all, except by how he looks.

Sure, a foreigner must accept all the customs of the city but I cannot praise the local-born who, due to overweening insolence, and immaturity, hurts bitterly his fellow citizens.

225

Corinthian women, you know that I have to suffer an insufferable thing, a thing that has worn my soul away.

I’m no longer alive! I refuse all of life’s charms and I seek death. Yes, death, Corinthians, because my husband, who was my whole world, had become the most evil of men.

Of all the living things, of all those things that have a soul and a sense, we, yes we, the women, are the most pathetic! Imagine! We need to spend a fortune to buy us a man who… what will he do? He will become the master of our bodies! And, it’s obvious, that this dangerous thing, becomes even more dangerous when we don’t find the right husband. Is he a good husband? Or is he a bad one? By the time you find that out it’s already too late.

And then, for a woman to leave her husband is neither proper nor possible. To live in a place where new laws and customs apply one needs to be a seer, since your own folk don’t tell you how you should behave towards your husband.

241

And if all these things work out well and our husband lives with us without thinking the marriage yoke to be too heavy, well that would indeed be a great life. If not, though, only Death opens his arms for us. Only Death awaits us. Man, however, if he finds the house too great a burden, he leaves the place, finds a friend or someone of similar age and his heart has shrugged off that weight. We, on the other hand, can only let our eyes fall upon one person and one person only, that of our husband.

Then they also say that whilst we live quietly and without any danger at home, the men go off to war. Wrong! One birth alone is worse than three times in the battlefield behind a shield.

In any case, Corinthians, things between you and me, are different. You are here, in your own country and home, enjoying your life and your friends, whereas I am here alone and without a country. My husband deceives me and treats me like a prize he ripped out of some barbarous country; no mother, no brother, no relative at all to whom I can turn for support at this dreadful time.

259

From you, however I ask only one thing: If I manage to find some means by which I can punish my husband and his father-in-law, that man who gave him his daughter as wife, do not tell anyone.

A woman is, in all things, timid, shy, weak and can’t even look at weapons but when she’s deceived by her husband, when her marriage is mocked, there is nothing more bloodthirsty than her.

267

Chorus:

Of course, Medea. Do as you please. It’ll be a justified act to extract vengeance from your husband. It is no surprise to us that you grieve your fate…

Enter Creon with attendants.

Chorus:

Ah, here’s our king Creon. He must have some new proclamation for us.

Creon:

To Medea

You!

Frowning woman! Always arguing with your husband!

Yes, you, Medea!

I order you to pick up your kids and get out of this country immediately. You’re exiled!

In fact, I’ll execute this decision myself and will not return back to my palace until I see you past our borders.

Medea:

Ah! Now I’m truly lost! Poor woman. My enemies have used everything at their disposal to get rid of me. There’s nothing left for me to do to escape my fate.

Still, Creon, with all these misfortunes I’m suffering, at least please let me ask you why you are sending me away.

282

Creon:

All right!

I won’t mince my words: I’m sending you away because I’m afraid that you might do some unmendable harm to my daughter. In fact, there are many things which give rise to my fears: you’re knowledgeable in many evil arts and you’re angry at the fact that you’re losing your husband. And there’s yet another: I hear that you’re scheming and threatening to do harm to me, personally and to my son-in-law and to my daughter. So I need to protect myself before I am hurt. Better I endure your hatred now than to feel sorry for you now and change my mind later, with pain and agony.

Medea:

Oh, Creon! Creon! This is not the first time that my reputation hurt me enormously.

The wise man must never bring up his children to be too wise. Not only will the crowds call them “useless” but that same crowd will also turn their back on them and treat them with envy and hostility.

If you were to teach the uneducated something new and beautiful, not only will they not appreciate it but they’ll call you “good for nothing.” And if those who think themselves to be wise, consider you even wiser than them, then you’ll hurt them most awfully. And that’s where my own suffering stems from: They call me “wise” yet, in reality I am not very “wise.” Some people scorn me, others simply hate me and you are now afraid that I do you some enormous harm!

Have no fear, though, Creon! I’m not capable of hurting kings! In any case, how did you ever hurt me? You simply married your daughter to the man you liked. I hate my husband whereas what you did, you did with your mind intact. So, on my part now, I do not envy at all your good luck. By all means, have the wedding and may you rejoice by them. But let me stay here, in this land and even though I’ve been dishonoured, I’ll say no more of it because you are by far my superiors.

316

Creon:

The words you utter can tame a man but I’m afraid –my heart is afraid- that your mind is spinning some evil web. I no longer trust you as I did before. You’re too silent now and whilst it is easy to protect oneself from the hot headed man or woman, it is impossible to do so when the woman is scheming and silent.

So leave now! Leave right now, quickly and end all this chatter. The matter has been decided and you will not be allowed to stay here since you hate me so much.

Medea:

Kneels before Creon

No! No, don’t do this, I beg of you on my knees. Please! For the sake of the young bride!

325

Creon:

You’re wasting your words. I will not change my mind.

Medea:

So you’ll send me off into exile without the slightest respect to my prayers?

Creon:

But of course. My love for my family is far greater than my love for you.

Medea:

Oh how I miss you, Colchis, my land!

Creon:

Quite right, too, because I too, love my country next to my family

330

Medea:

Poor people! What a dire suffering is my love for you!

Creon:

Depends…

Medea:

Prays to Zeus

Zeus! May he who caused all this suffering not escape his punishment!

Creon:

Leave now, you terrible woman! Leave and torture me no more!

Medea:

The torture, Creon, is mine!

335

Creon:

Attendants! My attendants will send you on your way immediately! By force if necessary.

Medea:

No, Creon, don’t do this! I beg you with all my heart!

Creon:

Woman, I can see, you’re up to no good!

Medea:

Have no fear, Creon. I shall leave. This is not what I’m begging you for…

Creon:

You’re persistently begging me about something! What is it? Leave, I tell you!

Medea:

She goes near him, takes his hands and brings them to her heart. Her voice is plaintive yet unsettling. Coy.

My request, king, is that you let me stay one day longer to prepare for my trip and to do what’s necessary for the children since their father does not care for them in the slightest! Have pity on them, Creon. You, too are a father and surely you’ll sympathise. I no longer care about leaving. My concern is only about the children.

Creon:

My heart is not tyrannical at all and I have suffered much because I am a compassionate man. Even now, I can see that I am making a mistake by giving in to your wishes.

However! I warn you that if the morning sunrays fall upon both you and your children within the borders of this land, you’ll die. These are undeniable, unalterable words.

Stay, if you need to one more day. What harm could you do me in any case?

Exit Creon and attendants

357

Chorus:

Poor, unfortunate woman! Of all the things you must suffer! What will you do now? Where is there a friendly family for you, where is the house, what place will you find to give you a haven for your terrible fate. What an inescapable tempest the gods have thrown you into, Medea!

Medea:

There’s no denying it. Everything around me has turned sour. Yet –

Yet don’t think that all is lost. Don’t think that at all.

Both, the newlyweds and their in-laws still owe a great deal. Their debt has not yet been fully paid. Do you think that just now I begged and cajoled for no reason at all? On the contrary. I did it because I had a scheme, a plan which would give me some advantage. Do you think I would have spoken to him in such a manner, touched his hands even.

And he! Oh, what a stupid man he is! He could have sent me away today, immediately! Sent me away from his country right here and now and destroy all my plans; but no, he let me stay.

One more day!

One more day to execute my plans. To kill three of my worst enemies: A father, a daughter, a husband!

She’s thinking and planning

376

There are many ways of doing the deed. Many. But which would be the best? Set fire to the wedding room? Or quietly enter it with a sharp blade and plunge it between their ribs?

No, there is a catch to this. What if they caught me as I was entering their house, trying to put my plan to practice and killed me? My enemies would laugh at me.

No, I shall follow my usual way, the way at which I am most experienced: The way of poison!

Yes! I shall poison them!

Still…

Let’s say my plan had succeeded. The enemies are dead. Which city will then receive me? What stranger will give me asylum, a house where I may feel safe?

No one! Of course no one.

So I shall wait a little longer and if someone offers me some protection, some little castle, a solid little castle, then I shall perform the murderous deed quietly and expertly.

And if a black despair rages all around me, I’ll take the matter to the very end and raise the sword with my own hands; and if it’s written by the gods that I shall die, die I will after I kill the newly married couple.

None of them will bring the suffering to my heart none, while I have Queen Hecate’s temple in my hearth. She is the goddess I respect the most, she my protector and she my helper.

I’ll make a bitter affair of their wedding. Bitter and miserable and bitter their family and bitter they’ll feel my exile from here.

401

Well, then! Make use of all your wisdom, Medea! Make use of all the knowledge you possess about magic and sacred crafts. Leave none out. Think and find schemes. Go forward with your terrible deed. This is the hour of showing the strength of your heart. Your suffering is before you. You can see it clearly. You must not become the subject of mockery by the scattered seed of Sisyphos and Jason’s new wife; you, the daughter of immortal Sun.

You know what to do, Medea. You know exactly how to go about the affair.

We, women might be awful at doing something good but we are very capable when doing something evil. No one is better than us.

410

Chorus:

The order of things has changed. The holy waters of the rivers flow

Upward

Justice and all things human turn

Backward

Men’s thoughts are evil now and their belief in the gods is

Gone.

And I can see that the coming stories will turn women’s

Reputation

To that of a glorious and honourable gender.

Their name will not longer be foul.

Old poets will stop singing our faithlessness, taking advantage of the fact that

Phoebos Apollo has not blessed us with the sacred gift of poetry.

Or else, I, too, would be composing songs against men –

Time’s experience give us much material to sing about both of us and of men.

431

And you, Medea, you left your family home with a maddened heart, passed through the sea’s giant twin rocks, to come and live here in a foreign land. They’ve taken your wedding bed away and then, dishonoured and fate-stricken they send you into exile.

Gone is the respect for the sacred oath and there’s no shame left within Greece. Shame has flown to the sky.

Luckless Medea! You have no fatherland to give you solace or protection from your suffering and your house and husband are used by another queen, one more powerful than you.

Enter Jason

446

Jason:

To Medea

This is not the first time I’ve noticed what great evil excessive anger is. I’ve noticed this many times. You, for instance, could have easily stayed on here, in your own home, had you obeyed the wishes of your superiors and kept your mindless words to yourself. It’s because of these mindless words of yours that you’re being sent away.

I don’t care about myself. I don’t care if you never stop yelling that Jason is the worst of all men. But you’ve spoken out about the king. Far too much. And now you’re paying the price of that excess.

Exile.

I’ve often softened the anger of the kings against you; because I wanted you to stay here but you, you never stopped uttering your insults against them. So, here’s your reward for it.

Exile.

459

Still and all, here I am, with my love for you intact, to make sure that you and the children don’t leave this land lacking money or anything else. Exile carries enough hardship as it is.

Even though you hate me, I’ll never wish you any harm.

Medea:

Hateful, miserable man! Words defy my tongue to put together an adequate insult for your sort of cowardice! You dare come here, to us! You! You, most hated by all the generations of mortals and immortals alike - and by me!

No, this is not “daring!” It takes no courage to lift your eyes and look upon the friends whom you destroyed. This is not courage. No! This is the worst of all human flaws. It’s shame.

It is good you came though. It’s good because I’ll be able to tell you what I feel and placate my heart somewhat and have yours taste my bitterness.

Let me first tell you that I had saved your life. Those Greeks who were with you when you came on the ship Argo, know this. When you were made to yoke the fire-spewing bulls and sow that deadly field with dragon’s teeth.

And it was I who also saved your life by killing the sleepless dragon that guarded the golden fleece with the coils of its body.

And again, it was I who had betrayed my father and my home to come with you to Pelios’ Iolcos, not moved by mind but by mindless heart.

And finally it was I who had killed Pelios in the most abominable way, by his own children so as to save you from every fear.

And though I did all this for you, most disgraceful of all men, you betrayed me and even though we had children you took another wife. If you had no children then it was possible for someone to forgive your act of preferring this new marriage.

Oaths are of no consequence for you these days.

Nor do I care what you think about gods. Are they the same as they always were or are they different? Nor if there are new laws for mortals to obey. To me you’ve broken all oaths and you know it.

496

She raises her right hand

Poor hand! He has grasped you so often. My poor knees! Hand and knees! How often we were deceived by this coward! How often we’ve missed out on our hopes!

Yet… come now. I’ll speak to you as one would speak to a friend. Not because I shall gain anything by doing so but because by your answers you shall be seen all the more a coward.

Tell me then, Jason. Where can I go now? Tell me! Shall I go back to my father’s home and fatherland which I betrayed so as to come here with you? Or shall I go to the poor wretched daughters of Pelias? How well they’ll receive me since I’ve killed their father!

Because the truth falls like this: I have become a most hated woman because of you! Hated by both, my own folk in my own country and by folks I should have never hurt. And for all this, I’ve become the envy of all the women in Greece and I, poor fool, think of you as the best, most faithful husband. Me! Me as I am going off into exile alone, with my children.

What great praise this is for a new groom, to have his poor children and the woman who had saved his life wandering about lost, away from their home.

Prays to Zeus

Oh Zeus! You gave such obvious signs for men to tell the difference between genuine gold and fake and yet you gave not a hint for people to tell who’s a good man and who an evil!

520

Chorus:

Friend against friend! An anger most implacable!

Jason:

Ha! I need to be a very capable sailor to escape the tempest of your words, woman. Excellent at the wheel and at the sails to slide past the whirlwind of your words.

Such a bloated ego! How much you’ve exaggerated your beneficence, woman!

Of all our gods I can only call Afrodite to help me with my sailing and you’re intelligent enough to understand why I say this but you don’t want to admit it. You don’t want to admit that it was Eros only, Eros with his faultless arrows who persuaded you to save me and nothing else. However I won’t examine this in detail since, to be honest, there were moments when I found you useful, though I’ll prove to you that you’ve received far more than what you gave for my salvation.

Firstly, you are now living in a Greek land and not one inhabited by barbarians and so you enjoy Greek justice and Greek laws, instead of simply submitting to the law of the strongest.

Secondly, you’ve become famous and all the Greeks know of your wisdom, whereas if you lived in your own land, at the end of the world, no one would say a word about you.

As for me, I wanted neither endless wealth nor the voice of Orpheus himself. Nor would I have the fame of a fortunate man.

So much for the things I’ve done, answering your long speech about the golden fleece.

As for my marriage to the princess about which you disparage me, I prove to you that I’ve begun this affair, not only as a wise and well-tempered man but it’s how your best friend would also behave.

551

So listen!

Once I’ve arrived here, here in Iolcos, full of suffering and woes, totally lost as to what I should do next, how could I an exile, escape all this? I was lucky to come across this marriage and I took the opportunity. What a better escape was there than this young Princes? The king’s own daughter?

And I married her, not because I turned away from your love, as you think because of your jealousy, nor because of love for my new wife, nor yet because of a desire to have even more children. No, those I have are enough! I am well satisfied on that score.

No, I’m doing all this because I want us to live well, missing out on nothing. I am well aware just how much people shun the poor. Then, I also wanted my children to be brought up equal to my birth and to have other children who’ll become their brothers and equals. That’s why I’ve decided to unite the two families and to live happily.

What do you need the other children for? Me? It is of benefit to me to have those who will be born in order to help those I have now. Am I wrong? Surely, even you wouldn’t disagree, had the pain of losing your wedding bed not hurt you so much.

569

But then again, that’s how you women are! When the wedding bed is maintained all is well –you’re fully satisfied. But when something goes astray with that bed, everything - good things, beautiful things and things of use are turned into hateful things!

By Zeus! It would have been far better if men, somehow gave birth and women simply didn’t exist. How happy men would be then!

Chorus:

What you said was eloquently put, Jason. Nevertheless, my own heart says that you should not have betrayed your wife.

Medea:

I differ in many ways to many folk. What I believe, for example is the eloquent misfit deserves the greater punishment because, thinking that his eloquence and pretty words will get him out of any injustice, he has the audacity to commit even greater evil. Yet such men should not be considered wise.

It is the same with you, Jason. Don’t just stand there pretending that you are an honourable man and a great orator because just one word from my lips will topple you completely. Simply put, if, indeed you were an honourable man, you would have tried to persuade me that this new wedding was a good thing before you did, instead of doing it in secret.

Jason:

Oh, sure! I can see it now! You would be really understanding then, wouldn’t you, about my marriage! You can’t rid yourself of this dreadful anger of yours even now!

591

Medea:

No, that’s not what bothered you Jason! That’s not it at all! What, in fact bothered you was that you would be entering your old age still married to a foreigner.

Jason:

I’ve told you before and I’m telling you again. I have not married into royalty out of love. I did so because I wanted to save you and to give to my children royal siblings, from the same blood, who will protect our household.

Medea:

I hope I’m never given such a joy by means of such a bitter life and such a wealth by means of such a sad soul.

Jason:

One day, Medea you’ll think differently and you’ll act more wisely. Let not joy ever appear to you as something bad and happiness as unhappiness.

Medea:

You mock me. You mock me because you have a place to stand on, a house, yet I will be thrown out of here, alone and desolate.

Jason:

Accuse no one else, woman. You’re the cause of your own fate.

Medea:

Why is that? Is it perhaps because I have married and betrayed my husband?

Jason:

No, but because you’ve uttered sacrilegious cursed to the royal family.

Medea:

True. Yes, it’s true. And I did so not only to them but to your own household as well.

Jason:

Bah! I’m not interested in what you have to say now. Just tell me if you want some money before you and the children leave. I’d be quite happy to provide you with plenty of that and with plenty of referrals to my friends. They’ll do everything in their power to help you. Reject the offer and you’ll prove yourself to be a fool, accept it and calm your anger and your benefits will be many.

614

Medea:

I need neither your money nor your friends. Gifts from an evil man are of no use at all.

Jason:

Fine! But remember I, on my part, have the gods as my witness. They know that I am ready to provide you and the children with anything you need. You, on the other hand, reject all the good things offered to you and arrogantly send away those who want to help you. For this, you’ll suffer even worse.

Medea:

Go! Go now! The longer you stay away from your little home the more your heart suffers for your new bride.

Enjoy your marriage!

Slyly, knowingly. She’s now thinking of the plot she is devising against his whole household.

Though, perhaps, with God’s aid, you’ll see that this… this new marriage of yours is not what it seems to be. Perhaps you will come regret it.

Exit Jason

627

Chorus

When Aphrodite arrives in the hearts of people, with no fuss and with no exaggerated madness, she is a very enjoyable visitor but, alas, overwhelming lust brings neither honour nor glory to no one.

Oh, my Lady Afrodite! I sincerely hope you don’t send any of your unfailing golden arrows, dipped in lust to me!

I hope, wisdom, the most treasured gift of the gods protects me from that misfortune.

Don’t, Afrodite, don’t plant into my heart improper love and send me all the curses that go with it: Hatred, jealousy, endless fights. Instead, dear Lady, protect marriage and grand honour to the peace-loving couples.

How I love my land and my home!

I hope I’ll never lose them! Let me suffer the worst poverty and hunger, the most bitter of deprivations but let me die before I see the day when I lose my land and my home! There’s certainly no greater ache than losing one’s fatherland.

No one came to console you Medea. In your worst hour neither your city nor any of your friends stood by you. I know this not through some rumour but because I saw it with my own eyes. Yet you have suffered the greatest misfortune.

I hope whoever has a clear conscience over this, whoever does not honour his friends, dies a wretched and miserable man. He is certainly not a friend of mine!

Enter Aigeas. Happy.

663

Aigeas:

A joyful day to you Medea. I give you the best greeting anyone can give to his friends.

Medea:

And a joyful day to you, too, Aigeas, son of wise Pandion. Where have you come from?

Aigeas:

From the ancient temple of Apollo.

Medea:

Why go to that oracle in the centre of the Earth?

Aigeas:

I needed to ask the oracle what I need to do to have children.

Medea:

For God’s sake! Are you still without children?

Aigeas:

Unfortunately, yes, Medea. Some God despises us.

Medea:

But how is that possible? Are you not married or is your wife barren?

Aigeas:

No, Medea. I am married.

Medea:

And what did Apollo say to you?

Aigeas:

The god told me words which humans can’t understand that easily.

Medea:

What words. Tell me, if you don’t mind, of course.

Aigeas:

The words were: “Do not untie the foot that sticks out of the skin.”

680

Medea:

And you’ll need to do that before you do what? What land should you reach beforehand?

Aigeas:

Before I return to my own homeland.

Medea:

And what need made you stop here?

Aigeas:

Because someone by the name of Pitheus is the king of Troizen.

Medea:

Quite true. Son of Pelops. A very respectable man, from all accounts.

Aigeas:

I’d like to tell him the oracle, in case he can give me some understanding of it.

Medea:

Very possible because the man is a very wise one and one most experienced in such matters.

Aigeas:

Yes, not only that but he’s also a great friend of mine.

Medea:

I hope you’ll always be happy and to succeed in your endeavours.

Aigeas:

But… Medea, why are your eyes so sad, your face so pale?

690

Medea:

My husband, Aigeas is the worst man in existence.

Aigeas:

What? What do you mean, Medea? Tell me, what bothers you?

Medea:

Jason has been unfaithful to me even though I did nothing to him.

Aigeas:

But how? What happened?

Medea:

He has married another woman who will be the mistress in my own house.

Aigeas:

What? He dared do such an atrocious thing?

Medea:

Not only that but now he won’t even turn to look at those whom he previously loved.

Aigeas:

But… what made him do it? Has he fallen in love with someone else or has he simply turned from you?

Medea:

Lust. He is not the sort, born to be faithful to those he loves.

Aigeas:

Well, to hell with him, if he is as you say.

700

Medea:

Suddenly he fell in love with royalty. He wanted to be related to the royal family.

Aigeas:

So would have him as a son-in-law?

Medea:

Creon, King of Corinth.

Aigeas:

So it’s true then. Your sadness is truly justified, Medea.

Medea:

I’m absolutely devastated and still they are sending me into exile from here!

Aigeas:

Here’s a new catastrophe! But why?

Medea:

Creon is sending me away from Corinth.

Aigeas:

Surely Jason does not agree with this? Another fault in Jason’s character.

Medea:

With his words he says he doesn’t want this but secretly, inside him he hopes it happens.

Aigeas! Please!

By your beard and your seed, I beg you! Feel pity for this poor soul. Don’t overlook me. As an exile, receive me in your home, in your land. And may the gods grand you your wishes. May you have children and may your death be a happy end to a long and contented life for you.

Aigeas, you’ve no idea what you’ve stumbled upon when you saw me. I promise you, I will make it possible for you to have children. I know of drugs that have a very dependable potency.

719

Aigeas:

Of course! I’ll will help you, most readily, for a number of reasons. One is for the sake of the gods, another because you have promised me children, a thing which I desire most deeply. So, if you come to my land, I’ll try to protect you because I love justice. However, let me tell you, Medea, let me tell you right now, I’m not able to take you from here, with me. If you want to come to my place, by all means, do so. I shall not deliver you to anyone. So, leave from here on your own because I do not want to be held responsible for your disappearance, particularly by my friends.

731

Medea:

Could you reassure me with an oath that all these things you’re offering me will happen?

Aigeas:

Don’t you believe me, Medea or is there something holding you back?

Medea:

Of course I believe you but Pelios’ family and Creon are my enemies so if you’ve sworn an oath, you’d be prohibited by it if they come to you and try to take me by force. You would be tied by that oath. But if you just give me your word, without oath to the gods, perhaps they’ll be able to persuade you with their suggestions and you could go over to their side and become their friends. I’m a weak creature whereas they are wealthy kings.

741

Aigeas:

You’re very wise, indeed. I see quite a foresight in your words and since you wish it, I shall do so. It will provide me with some safety as well because I’ll have a strong reason to give to your enemies for not surrendering you up to them. Both of us will gain safety by this oath.

Tell me then the gods to whom you want me to swear the oath.

Medea:

Swear by Earth and by Apollo, my grandfather, as well as the whole generation of gods.

Aigeas:

But what should I swear for?

Medea:

Swear that, for as long as you live, you will not exile me from your land, nor surrender me to my enemies, if they ever ask for me.

Aigeas:

I swear by the Earth and by the bright light of Apollo that I shall do all those things you just said.

Medea:

Good enough. But if you break your oath, what then?

Aigeas:

I shall suffer what all mortals who disrespect the gods suffer.

Medea:

Well, then, dear friend, go in peace and happiness. All will be well and I shall come to your city as soon as I have accomplished my wishes here.

759

Chorus:

And may Hermes, son of Maia, protector of the traveller, guard your journey, Aigeas and may all your wishes come true. You seem like a kind and generous man.

Exit Aigeas

Medea:

Thank you, Zeus and your Justice! Thank you, too, Light of Apollo! Now, we will be victorious against our enemies.

The plan can now move forward. Now there is hope to punish my enemies! I was in a ruthless tempest of troubles until this man came and brought me inside a safe harbour. There then, I shall unfurl my stern sails and drop my anchor before I enter the city walls of Athens.

Enter Nurse

And now, I shall tell you all my plans but expect no words of joy.

Firstly, I shall send my servant to Jason to tell him to come here.

Then, I shall mock him, lie to him, telling him with sweet words that I think that all his plans are good and that his betrayal and his marriage to the Princess are both, wise and a good thing for all of us! I’ll also beg him to let my children stay here, not because I want them left here as objects of ridicule but so that I can use my cunning to murder the King’s daughter!

Then, I’ll send the boys to her bearing gifts, with a delicately woven dress and a golden crown. They will hand these gifts to her and ask her to let them stay here. These gifts will be steeped in such a deadly poison that she will die a most horrible death. She and whoever touches her.

790

And now I change my words. I shudder with fear for the deed that must be done – right after that and by me! I will have to murder my children. No one can save them, no one! Kill them and I kill Jason’s home! Then I will leave this land. Escape the consequences of this most unholy act because…the anger of a city is intolerable to me.

Well, so be it!

What is the point of living?

There is no land, nor home, nor any means to escape my suffering. Poor wretch! What a dreadful mistake I’ve made, leaving my own father’s house and trusting the words of a Greek.

Still, with God’s help, the vengeance shall be mine. Because he’ll see no more his own children, born by me, nor will he see any children by her. That black soul, too, shall die a black death with my poisons. Let no one think of me weak and evil, nor without humanness. Quite the contrary. I am most friendly to my friends and most fearsome to my enemies. It’s only people like me who live a life of glory.

811

Chorus:

Since you’ve trusted your words with me, as I wish you no harm and wanting to observe our laws, I ask you not to go ahead with the execution of this deed.

Medea:

Don’t waste your words. Of course, it’s easy for you to talk like this since you don’t suffer like I do.

Chorus:

How could ever think you could kill your own children, woman?

Medea:

I could because this deed will make my husband even more miserable!

Chorus:

But you, too, will feel just as miserable!

Medea:

That may be so… But we’ve finished with words now. Nurse, go and bring Jason here. Now, mind, I trust you to be discreet. If you love your mistress and if you are a true woman, say nothing to him of what I’ve decided.

824

Chorus:

Descendants of Erichtheus, for ever happy and contented, children of the blessed gods, nourished by the glorious wisdom of a free land. People who have always lived within the brightest air in which, it is told, the golden crested Harmonia gave birth to

the nine Pierian Muses.

Where, it is also told, Cypris Afrodite, drew water from the cool founts of the bejewelled Kifissos and mingled it with the sweet breath of the soft airs of fields and mountains. There, where she adorns her hair with the sweet rose-scented garland and, they also say, she sends Eros to the keep company with Wisdom, for ever his aid in every virtue.

Eros and Wisdom, together!

To Medea

846

How then this city, this most welcoming city, whose rivers are blessed, will receive you, a most cursed woman, murderess of her own babies?

Think, woman, think how you will plunge your knife into your children!

Think, woman the degree of murder to which your hand will reach!

They fall to their knees and shout

Medea!

We kneel before you and beg you! We beg you by every possible means! Don’t kill your children!

Where will your heart and your hand draw the dreadful courage to do this deed?

How will your turn your eyes towards your children and kill them, without being flooded with tears?

No!

No, Medea! You will not endure it. You will not endure their knee-delivered pleas to you, not to paint your hand with their blood. Your heart will not endure it!

Enter Jason

865

Jason:

I’ve come because you’ve sent for me and even though you hate me, your wish will be granted.

Medea:

Jason, my wish is that you forgive me for all the things I’ve said to you before. For my sake, Jason, have a little more patience with me. We had many sweet moments together.

I’ve weighed everything well, Jason and then I said to myself, “What a fool, I am! What a fool I must be to show such animosity to friends who gave me wise counsel? Why did I want to become an enemy to my rulers and to my husband, who did something of such a great benefit to us, to take a Princess as a wife and to give siblings to my children? When will I stop this stupid anger of mine? What is wrong with me that I suffer so much with things which the gods brought to me in such a wonderful way? Can’t I realise that I have my own children and that I am an exile from my own, native land and friendless?”

882

I thought of all this and decided that both, my anger and my thinking were totally wrong. Now, I praise you and your wise actions in uniting our families and realise that I was unwise in not immediately agreeing with you and helping you with your plan. I should have been there, during your wedding ceremony to be the first to embrace your bride, my new relative.

But, that’s how we women are. Deep down well-meaning but still, always women. You, however, must not do as the fools do nor address foolishness with foolishness.

However, let’s forget all that. I admit that I thought badly of all this but now everything has changed.

Walks to the door, opens it and calls at the children

Come children, come out and kiss your father.

Enter the two boys with the tutor.

Come, talk with him. Come and make friends with your mother again, whom you hated so much before. The harsh words have come to an end now. We are friends.

Here, hold my right hand.

The children obey and at the very first touch, Medea turns with horror.

Oh, God! God, how my mind unfurls such dreadful horrors!

She turns back to them and addresses them gently.

How sweetly you extend your little hands! How long will you live my darlings?

Sobbing

Stupid woman! How easily my tears flow, what a timid coward I am! Hah! It’s that long quarrel your father and I had. It’s over now but still the tears flow without control.

906

Chorus:

My eyes, too, are bursting with heart-felt tears. Let’s hope the horror ends here.

Jason:

I applaud you, Lady for your words and I hold no ill will for your past actions. Anger is a natural thing for women when their husband is planning other marriages. But, I see that your heart has turned towards other, more worthy sentiments and, eventually you realised which is the better decision. So act the wise women.

And you, too, children. Your father has not neglected you but, with god’s help he did what he could. I’m confident that one day you and your brothers will become the best citizens of Corinth

Give yourselves some years first. Grow up a bit and, rest assured that your father and the gods who love us will take good care of us. Long life to you!

My only wish is to see you one day, well brought up, strong and healthy, braver than my enemies.

To Medea who has turned to hide her tears.

But, you, Medea, why turn your pale white face away and flood it with tears? Are you not pleased with my words?

Medea:

No, it’s not that. I’m overwhelmed with thoughts about the children.

Jason:

Courage, woman! I shall do all I can about the children.

Medea:

Of course. I know. I have no doubt about that but women, you see, are weak creatures and their eyes are constantly full with tears.

Jason:

But why? What’s the reason for your tears?

930

Medea:

Amid more tears

Because it was I who gave birth to them, Jason and just then, when you wished them a long life, suddenly I was hit by some bitter uncertainty as to whether that wish would be accomplished.

I’ve already said most of what I brought you here to tell you and what little is left is this: Jason, since the king has decided to exile me, quite rightly too, since I’d only be a terrible nuisance because of our animosity, I’ll go but ask Creon to let the children stay here and be brought up by you, by your hands.

Jason:

I’ll certainly try but I don’t know if I’ll succeed in persuading him.

Medea:

If you can’t then talk to your wife to plea with her father to let the children stay.

Jason:

That’s a better idea. I’m sure I’ll be able to manage that.

945

Medea:

Yes, you will, if she has a heart like that of all the rest of us women and I’ll help you with this, Jason. I’ll send the children to her with gifts which people love: finely woven cloth and a golden garland.

To one of her attendants

Quickly, one of you go and bring those gifts.

Exit one of the attendants

Your wife, Jason is lucky not only for one reason but for a great many of them.

Not only did she get for herself a man most worthy, but she also inherited a jewel which my own grandfather, Apollo handed down to his descendants.

Enter the attendant holding a basket with the cloth and the crown. She gives it to Medea.

Come, my children, take in your hands these wedding gifts and take them to the happy bride, the Princess. These are not the sort of gifts a bride would refuse.

959

Jason:

You’re such a silly woman, Medea! Do you think there are no dresses or gold in the palace? Why leave yourself short of them? Keep them, don’t give them away.

If my bride truly respects me, then I’m certain she’d get more joy out of hearing my words then receiving your things.

Medea:

Please, don’t interfere, Jason. They say that even the gods are persuaded more by gifts and gold than by a million words. She is the one blessed with luck now. She is young and she reigns, the gods are with her. I, on the other hand, am pleading for my children to stay here; and I’d give my life even and more, let alone gold.

But go, now children. Go into your father’s rich house, find his new Lady, go down on your knees and, handing her these gifts, beg her not to send you away from this land.

Now be careful though, make sure it is her who picks up these gifts with her own hands.

Go, now! Go! Bring me back the happy news that my wish came true.

Exit children with basket. Jason and the Tutor follow them

976

Chorus:

There’s no hope now left for the children’s life. None! They’re heading for their death.

Our poor Princess! She’ll accept the golden gifts and with them, with her own hands, she’ll put them on her blond head. Hades’ gifts! The beauty of these gifts will enchant her and will put on the beautiful mantle and the golden crown and so, she will become the bride of the dead. This is the trap, the deadly fate she’ll fall into, the poor wretch.

And you, you, ill-fated Jason, your marriage will be your dire fortune. You’ve become the son-in-law of kings without knowing that you’ve sent your wife and children to a gruesome death!

Unfortunate man! You have no knowledge of what dire Fate awaits you.

Still, I sigh at your pain, too, poor Medea! You will kill your own children because your husband has betrayed you and because he left you for another woman.

Enter Tutor with children

Tutor:

Madam, the children are safe. Here they are. They won’t need to leave the country and the Princes joyfully received the gifts with her own hands. You need not worry about them any more, madam.

Medea:

Tearfully

Oh!

Tutor:

Madam, what is it? What made you so afraid? I have brought you good news! Why turn your face? Why not receive these news with joy?

Medea:

Oh!

Tutor:

Madam, this behaviour is not in tune with my news.

Medea:

Oh! Alas! A million times alas!

Tutor:

Have I brought bad news instead, dear Lady? I thought the news were joyous!

Medea:

You brought the news which you brought. You can be blamed of nothing, old man.

Tutor:

But why have your eyes darkened so much? Why the flood of tears?

Medea:

Because I must, old man, because I must. It was the will of the gods and it was accomplished by my own schemes.

1015

Tutor:

Have courage, my Lady. Your children will bring you back down here again some day.

Medea:

Back down here? No, my dear old man. Before that happens, I, poor woman that I am, shall be taking others down there with me. Indicating the Under World

Tutor:

My lady, you’re not the first woman who will miss her children. People must meet their ill luck with courage.

Medea:

Fine. Go now and prepare everything the children usually need during the day.

Exit Tutor

Oh, my darling children! My sweet, darling children! You now have a city and a house to live in, while you leave me in misery and loneliness. You will always be without your mother and I will now leave for another country, exiled, before I enjoy you, before I see your joy, before I see your weddings, before I dress your brides, before I fix your wedding beds before I hold your wedding candles!

How miserable my arrogance has made me!

There were other things in my mind as I brought you up, my darlings. I had other things in my mind when I agonised and burned under the awful pains of your births.

So many hopes! This ill-fated woman had nourished so many hopes for you. To look after me in my old age and I leave this world to adorn my body with your own hands, a thing which every parent hopes for.

What a heavy loss the loss of this hope is!

Now I shall live an unhappy life, bitter and without the slightest joy and you, your sweet eyes will no longer see your mother. You’ll be living a different life.

1040

Oh! But why, my darlings? Why look at me like this? Why… why give me a smile like that? As if it were your last?

Ladies, what should I do? My heart melted with that last smile of theirs.

No, I can’t go on with it. I can’t go on with these plans.

Old plans, leave my head!

I shall take my children back with me. With me! Out of this country! Why should I suffer a double suffering? To make their father suffer with their suffering and me suffer a double suffering?

No! That I cannot do! Out! Out old plans!

She thinks for a few moments

Oh what a fool I am! What’s wrong with me? Do I want my enemies to mock me? Should I not punish them?

No, I must go through with these plans! What a silly, coward this heart of mine is! How it bends to soft words.

Right! Off you go, kids! Back into the house!

She looks around

And if anyone here thinks the sacrifice I’m about to make is an unholy thing, let him stay away. My hand will not shun the deed.

1056

She takes the children by the hand and moves towards the door. Then suddenly stops. Turns, lets go of their hands and moves forward.

No! No, my heart, no! Don’t do this! Leave them! Let these poor children live! Feel sorry for them. Wherever we live they’ll soften my life. Let them live!

No! Again no! By the all the destructive spirits that whirl about in Hades, the spirits that never forget, I cannot leave my children to be killed by my enemies. And killed they will surely be! So, no! If anyone is going to kill them then it shall be me, their birth mother. Their death is fated. Inescapable.

Softly, as if she watching a ghostly event

Ha! I can see it! That’s right! She has just placed the crown on her head. It’s in flames! The young Princess is burning in her mantle!

Out of the vision.

Abruptly changing topic

I need to speak with my children now. Now I’m entering the dreaded path and I’m sending these two into a worse path still.

Give me your right hand, my darlings. Let mummy kiss them.

Children obey

Sweet little hands… darling, most loved faces, tiny bodies wonderful hearts! I hope you’ll be happy even down there because your earthly happiness was stolen from you by your father.

What a delight it is for me to embrace you! What tender flesh, what scented breath you have my sweethearts!

But no! Let’s go! I can’t endure this much longer. How can I even look at you? The pain is overwhelming. I know only too well how horrible is the crime I am about to commit. Logic makes it clear for me but anger, the only cause of man’s most terrible suffering conquers my logic.

1080

Chorus:

I’ve often thought about things, perhaps more deeply than a woman should. Pondered over an argument for too long, considered its subtle points. You see, the Muse is within us women, also. Not all of us, of course but enough to make one say justifiably that a woman’s mind is not totally without a Muse.

So I have this view that those who have no children –children to have and to know- are much happier than those who do have them. This is because whilst the childless folk don’t know if children are a good thing or bad, they escape a great deal of concern and worry, whereas those who do have in their house these little blossoms, I see them worrying all day long about how to raise them properly and how to leave them good inheritance once they die. And after all that, one doesn’t know whether all this effort was made towards children who were worthy or unworthy.

And at the end, of course, remains something else, worse then everything else.

Let’s suppose that the children have grown up, mage themselves a household and turned out well. Sometimes, Death arrives and sends them down to Hades for no good reason at all. Is it right then, for the gods to add this most bitter of all bitter misfortunes, to the children? What is the use of it?

1116

Enter Medea

Medea:

I’ve been watching anxiously for a while now to see how the matter has developed, ladies. Ah, now I can see one of Jason’s men approaching. I can see by his flushed face that he’ll be announcing some new misfortune.

Enter Messenger

Messenger:

Medea! Medea! What a gruesome crime you have committed! Leave! Leave immediately! Leave by whatever means you can! Waste no time! Ship or Carriage, take it but leave now!

Medea:

Why? Whys should I leave? What have I done?

Messenger:

The Princess and Creon, her father, are both dead by your own hand, by your own poisons!

Medea:

Laughs

Thank you, messenger. You’ve brought me the best possible news. I shall think of you as one of my friends and benefactors from now on.

Messenger:

Woman, what are you saying? Have the news made you insane? You have just heard that the whole royal family has been destroyed, yet you’re laughing. Are you not afraid?

Medea:

I, too have something to add to your words, messenger but don’t be in such a rush, my friend. Tell me exactly how they died. My joy will be twice as great if I hear that they died in the most terrible way possible.

1136

Messenger:

The moment your children and their father entered the wedding chambers, we, the servants felt and enormous joy, though we also felt sorrow enough for your misfortune. The word was spread around the palace rooms immediately that you two have abandoned your earlier squabbles and everyone kissed the hands and the blond heads of the children. In fact, I, out of sheer pleasure, forgot myself and followed them all the way into the women’s quarters.

Then our new lady, the one we serve now in your place, had not seen the two boys yet and looked angrily at Jason. Then she saw the children and again resented their entry into her room and with a veil covered her white face and turned it away. But your husband stepped in and quickly calmed her anger.

Jason said to her, “Don’t behave badly to those I love, sweetheart. Don’t be angry and turn your head towards us again. You should love those whom your husband loves and you should accept their gifts. You’ll be asking your father to let them stay here, in Corinth, for my sake, won’t you?”

Then she, when she saw the golden gifts, she couldn’t resist and she promised her husband whatever he asked for.

Just before Jason and the children walked too far from her, the Princess picked up the mantle and put it on her, then she put the golden crown onto her blond head, walked over to the shining mirror to fix her hair and smiled at the soul-less image she saw in there. After that, she got up delirious with joy and went through all the rooms with her white little feet, some times standing on her toes turning to see her body from all sides.

1167

Suddenly though, the whole scene changed. It became awful, horrible to see.

First, the Princess changed colour. She moved back shaken with terror and only just managed to get to the bed and not fall down.

An elderly servant thought it was some ailment delivered to the Princess by Pan or some other god so she began to scream prayers. But the Princess… froth rose up into the Princess’ mouth and then her skin was flushed of all blood, her eyes began to roll back upward. The old woman stopped her prayers and began a sad lament, a dirge full of tears and tearing at her grey hair.

One servant runs to her mistress’ rooms and another rushes to tell the unbearable news to the new groom and from all that running the palace shook from its very foundations.

Then not a moment later –a good runner couldn’t have reached a hundred yards- the Princess came to with a deep groan because now she had to endure a double horror. The golden crown suddenly spewed forth a strange flame around her head, burning it, devouring it, and the fine mantle, the two gifts your children gave her, began to eat away at the tender flesh of the poor girl.

She jumps out of her throne and runs, a bundle of fire, shaking her head, her hair, shaking it this way and that struggling to toss the crown away. But the crown stayed there immovable and as she shook her head the blaze grew doubly fierce.

Eventually, unable to fight the evil attack any more, she fell to the ground, a bundle of death and only the woman who gave birth to her could recognise her.

1197

Where were her eyes? Her face, her beautiful face was gone and from top to bottom she was a mess of blood and flames.

Her flesh… her flesh pealed off her bones like the tears of a pine tree roll off its bark while the poisons fed upon it. A most horrible sight! And us? What could we have done? None of us could touch or approach her dead body. We saw what Fate did to her.

Then her father entered the room unaware of what had happened. He came in, saw his daughter of the ground and immediately fell upon her body.

He screams, holds her tightly in his arms, kisses her with tears in his eyes and says, “My sweet, darling daughter! What terrible God has given you such an awful death? Which awful god took you from me? Me! Me, who has one foot in the grave! Oh! How I’d love to have died with you!”

Then, when the poor old man has quietened his grief a little and tried to stand up, he saw that his weak old body was stuck to the mantle like an ivy string onto the branched of a Daphne bush.

He began a fearsome battle. He tried to stand up onto his weak legs and she to hold him back down. Her body was stuck to his. And as he charged at freeing his leg the old flesh broke away from its bones. Shortly, the ill-fated man gave up the fight and his soul left him. How could he beat such a horror? Such things are not for us to fight with.

1220

Now, they’re lying there, two corpses, a father and a daughter, side by side, a most hideous death, worthy of the deepest grief.

I… I have no idea nor do I care what you’ll do next, Medea. You’ll have to find your escape from this deed of yours alone.

As for me, I’ve said it often: All things accomplished by mortals are mere shadows. Nor am I afraid to say that those people who consider themselves philosophers and know the art of spinning good words and say that man can live in happiness, those men are stupid.

Wealth may make your life a little better than that of your neighbour but it will not give you happiness.

Exit Messenger

Chorus:

It’s obvious that the gods are meting out a great many woes to Jason today. And rightly so.

But you, poor daughter of Creon! We grieve for your terrible suffering. A suffering caused because of your marriage to Jason. How quickly you’re come before Hades’ gates!

Medea:

Enough, my friends!

My mind is made up. I’ve decided to kill my children and to leave this country. I haven’t a moment longer lest someone takes my children and they are slaughtered by some enemy’s hands. Die they must and if that’s the case then better they die by me who gave birth to them.

Come, my heart, arm yourself. This is no time for equivocations. Need has forced this evil. So why wait? Come terrible hand, pick up the knife! Take it and take also the final, the most bitter step, the last step of life. Don’t be a coward now. Don’t think about the love you have for them, the life you gave them.

Today, forget that you have any children at all! Leave the crying for another day.

So what if you’re their murderess?

Their love will follow you for ever - just like misery will.

Exit Medea

1251

Chorus:

Earth!

And you, too, wide and bright Light of Apollo!

Look down, watch this evil woman before she stretches her bloody and murderous hand to kill her children and stop her!

She is the product of your own golden seed, Apollo and it is a terrible thing for the mortals to spill the blood of immortals.

Hold her back, immortal light. Placate her. Send away from this house this evil wretch, this woman who was made bold by the vengeance-seeking Erinyes.

How easily the effort and the years to have these children are to be wasted!

Was it for nothing that you gave birth to these children?

Was it for nothing that you once attacked the gruesome and dark clashing sea rocks?

Why flood your soul with wild hatred that throws you into such hard murders?

Murders!

Murders of one’s own flesh and blood weigh heavily on mortals and huge curses are heaped upon the murderers.

Boys:

From within

Ahhhhh! Noooo!

1273

Chorus:

Ah! Do you hear? Do you hear the children?

Shouts

How harsh is your heart, Medea! How cruel your fate!

Boys:

From within

Boy 1:

Ahhhh! Help me! How can I escape my own mother’s knife?

Boy 2:

I don’t know, brother. We are doomed! Ahhhh!

Chorus:

Asks another member of the chorus. She shouts towards the palace

Ah… I can’t take this any longer!

Shall I go into the house and save the boys?

Boys:

From within

Boy 1:

Come! Come inside! For God’s sake save us! There’s still time! Ah, here she is, knife raised above us! Ahhhh!

Silent pause

Chorus:

Cruel woman! Ill-fated woman! Is it of stone or steel your heart is made of? How can you murder the children you bore?

I know of only one woman, from the olden days, who used her own hand to kill her children. Ino. The gods ripped out her senses and Zeus’ wife sent her off to wonder aimlessly away from her house. The woman then, took her children and jumped into the ocean. A triple drowning. What can be more terrible?

Painful wedding beds! What endless suffering you bring to the mortals!

1293

Enter Jason with two attendants.

Furious, shouting

Jason:

You, ladies, you’ve been standing outside Medea’s house all day. Do you know if that murderess, that criminal, Medea is still in there or has she escaped?

She’d need to hide beneath the Earth, or to make wings and fly if she wants to escape her punishment for what she did to the royal family! And if she thinks that because the killed the heads of this country she’ll be able to leave here unpunished, she’s very much mistaken!

She’ll get her punishment, all right. From those whom she hurt. I’m more concerned right now about the children. I came to save their lives, lest they, too suffer some dreadful fate from the dead as revenge by the relatives of those whom their mother killed.

Chorus:

It’s obvious! You’ve no knowledge of the misfortune you’ve suffered, otherwise your words would be different.

Jason:

Why, what happened? Tell me! Was she after me, as well?

Chorus:

Medea has killed your children with her own hands!

Jason:

What are you saying, woman! Your words are killing me!

Chorus:

Consider your children dead.

Jason:

Where? Where has she killed them? Out here or inside the house?

Chorus:

Open the door, Jason and you’ll see their dead bodies.

Jason

To his attendants

Come, help me break the door down. Quickly, bend those iron bars! The hinges!

Quickly, let me see my children! Let my eyes fall upon this double murder so that I may get vengeance. Hurry!

But before his attendants make their way to the door, Jason throws himself upon it and tries, by his own vain and desperate efforts, to open it

The following dialogue is conducted while Medea is high up, above the stage and behind the wall, inside a golden, brilliant carriage, with the bodies of the two children.

It is what is commonly known as Deus ex Machina.

1317

Medea:

What now, Jason? Why all this shaking and banging at the door? Are you after these dead children and me, their murderess? Don’t waste your energy. Tell me what you want from down there. Your hand, Jason, will never touch me. Look at my carriage! My grandfather, Apollo’s father gave it to me. Look at it! It is a mighty protection against every enemy.

Jason:

What a hateful woman you are, Medea! Evilest of all women. All the gods and I and the whole generation of men abhor you! How could you manage to kill your very own children? Deprive me at the same time of mine?

You’ve destroyed me!

And yet, even though you’ve committed this most loathsome deed, you’re still allowed to see the Sun and the Earth!

Shouts

Medea burn! A thousand courses to you! Now it is all clear to me! Now I understand my mistake, not then!

Not when I took you from a barbaric house and land and brought you to a Greek one, not when I saw you betrayed your father and the land that raised you, not when I saw you kill your own brother so as to climb aboard our beautiful ship Argo. The gods have sent you to me, you evil spirit.

1336

And then, and then you made yourself my wife, you gave birth to our children and then you killed them, too!

A most heinous murder because of lust. Because I left your bed.

No Greek woman would dare do such a thing. What a naïve idiot I was not to have suspected anything! I’ve married you, you! Not a woman but a most destructive enemy! Not a woman but a lioness, whose heart is wilder than the Tuscan Skylla.

A million curses wouldn’t touch you, you loathsome beast, such is the arrogance of your nature.

Go! Get out of my sight, evil woman, killer of your own children.

What is left for me to enjoy now? Not my young wife, not can I chat to my lovely children, whom I raised and lost.

Only grief. Grief and lamentation. What ill fate I have!

1351

Medea:

There are many words I could answer you with, Jason but our God Zeus knows how well I treated you and how I’ve suffered with you. You think that, having turned me into a thing to be ridiculed would make you a happy man? Do you think I’d let you live and mock me? No! Not even Creon himself, nor his Princess would be able to send me away without me first being able to avenge myself.

Sure, call me what you like, Lioness, Tuscan Skylla, whatever you like! My job is done and I took my rightful vengeance.

Jason:

But, you, too, ache and suffer from what you’ve done.

Medea:

True but my pains are eased knowing I’m not the butt of your ridicule.

Jason:

My darling children! What a despicable woman gave birth to you!

Medea:

My darling children! What a despicable man gave you such destruction!

Jason:

They were not murdered by my hand!

Medea:

No, what killed them was the shame and your new marriage.

Jason:

Was an empty bed a good enough reason for your murders?

Medea:

Do you think an empty bed is such a small thing for a woman?

Jason:

For a normal woman yes. But for you, obviously, everything is a catastrophe.

1370

Medea:

Yet… look, they’re not alive! Oh, my darlings! How this tears my heart!

Jason:

They’re alive! And they will throw crushing curses upon your head!

Medea:

The gods know who is the primary cause of their destruction.

Jason:

And they know, too, your hateful soul.

Medea:

By all means, hate me. And I shall hate your sickening voice.

Jason:

And I yours… yet, we can both be easily saved.

Medea:

How? What would you have me do? I, too would love that.

Jason:

Let me bury the children. Let me bury them and grieve for them.

Medea:

Never! Never! They will be buried by my own hands at the temple of Hera of the Cape, at the mountain so that none of my enemies will be able to open their tombs and scorn them, mock them. And I’ll make sure that a ceremony will be held in their honour and for their sinful murder, here in the land of Sisyfos.

And now, I’m leaving for the land of Erichtheus, to live with Aegeas, son of Pandion. You, of course, will die one way or another, beaten over the head by one of your ship’s Argo pieces of wood, since you’ve tasted the bitter end of my marriage.

Jason:

Yet you will be punished by the spirits of Vengeance, the Erinyes and Holy Justice who punishes all the murderers.

1391

Medea:

Which god or spirit will listen to you, Jason, a perjurer who dishonours the strangers?

Jason:

Medea! Medea! Child killer! Despicable woman!

Medea:

Go home, Jason. Go home and bury your wife.

Jason:

I am going! I’m going without my children.

Medea:

You’re still not grieving as you should. Wait till old age come to you.

Jason:

My darling sons!

Medea:

They were darlings to their mother, not to you!

Jason:

Darlings, yes. But it was still you who killed them.

Medea:

Sure, for vengeance’s sake.

Jason:

Ahhhh. Let me at least kiss their beloved lips.

Medea:

Now you want them, now you want to kiss them. Back then you were simply sending them away.

Jason:

In the name of the gods! Let me touch the soft body of my children.

Medea:

No, your words are in vain.

Jason:

Do you hear Zeus? Do you hear how she sends me away, how I suffer from this terrible child killer? This wild lioness?

I cry and grieve for my children as much as I can and I call the gods as witnesses to see that even though you’ve killed them, you won’t let me touch them nor bury them!

I wish I had never seen them murdered by you, I, their father.

1415

Chorus:

Olympian Zeus is most wise. Gods accomplish more things without warning, and so many things which we have expected, of course have not taken place and where no one expected a solution, there a solution appeared.

So ends this story.