At the beginning of the play, Medea's in dire straights. For one, her husband, Jason (of Jason and the Argonauts fame), has married another woman, Glauke, daughter of Creon the King of Corinth. On top of that, Creon banishes Medea and her two sons from Corinth. Medea, however, is not the kind of woman to take such mistreatment lying down. She swears bloody revenge and swiftly sets about finding a way to kill them all.
First, she convinces Creon to let her stay one more day in Corinth. It goes against his better judgment, but he allows it out of pity for Medea's two sons. This gives Medea enough time to put her plot into motion. Next Medea has to secure a safe place to retreat to once she's committed the murders. By an incredibly lucky coincidence, Aegeus, King of Athens (or in our version, Queen of Athens), happens by. Medea promises to cure her sterility if she swears to give her safe harbor. Of course, she neglects to mention she's about to kill a bunch of people.
Now that Medea has the time and a safe place to retreat to, she can really get to work. She tricks Jason into believing that she's now supports his new marriage. Medea begs her husband to ask Glauke if their two sons can stay in Corinth. Jason is moved and agrees. Medea gives Jason a gossamer gown and a golden crown to sweeten the deal for Glauke. Jason and the children trot off to the palace with hope in their hearts. Their hope is misplaced, however, for once again Medea neglects to mention a vital piece of information: the gifts are cursed.
A Messenger returns and tells Medea all about the horror she has wreaked. When the Princess put on the gown and crown, she received a rather nasty surprise. Her entire body caught fire and the flesh melted from her bones. When Creon saw his daughter's flaming corpse, he was so distraught that he threw his body onto hers and died as well. Medea is pleased with the news. Now she only has one thing left to do, in order to leave Jason totally devastated – kill their sons.
The idea of murdering her children isn't easy for Medea as she struggles with her motherly instincts. In the end, will her revenge be more important? Will Jason arrive in time to save them? Will Medea triumph?
Watch and see...
