Source edition
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus. Tragoediae. Peiper, Rudolf; Richter, Gustav, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1921.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
Set in Corinth, this tragedy depicts the fierce revenge of the foreign princess Medea, who is driven to fury by the betrayal of her husband Jason. While the chorus celebrates Jason's new marriage, Medea vows a terrible vengeance and negotiates a single day's delay of her banishment from King Creon. Despite her pleas reminding Jason of her past sacrifices for him, she is rejected, leading her to scheme a cruel plot using Jason's love for their children. Medea performs a chilling magical ritual to summon the underworld deities and sends a poisoned gift to the new bride, destroying the royal family. In the climax, overcoming a tormenting internal conflict, she slays her own children to complete her revenge and ascends to the heavens in a winged dragon chariot, leaving a despairing Jason behind.