MEDEA
for storytelling
(Remix of several myths and stories about MEDEA)
by Konstantja
Eleven years have passed since Hera demanded from Eros to wound Medea,
the princess of Colchis in
and make her fall in love with her protégé Jason.
Eleven years since Medea helped Jason with her magic powers
to overcome his almost impossible tasks;
retrieve the Golden Fleece and return back to
In Jason's favor, she betrayed her father Aetes-the son of the Sun,
she dismembered and scattered in the sea her baby-brother's body
and left far behind her glorious palace and the
To follow Jason and live as a stranger in
with the label of the Barbarian amongst the people of
where the couple have settled.
Out of love she rejuvenated Jason and gave birth to his two sons.
Not even when Zeus have fallen in love with her she resigned,
but she repulsed all his advances
and thus Hera promised to make her sons with Jason immortal.
And there she is now, inside her house.
She cries and curses and the house trembles.
as Jason betrayed his oath and is preparing to marry Creussa,
the beautiful daughter of King Creon of
The women of
outside Medea's house and try to console her.
King Creon then arrives! He fears of her wicked powers
and came to set Medea into exile,
in order to protect his daughter Creussa!
As he faces Medea he orders:
"I demand that you leave my territories right now!
And take along your two sons!"
She compliments him, by telling him that he is a wise man
and should not be afraid of the knowledge -she has- of magic. Creon insist.
She then falls on his knees and begs him
to give her just one more day to plan where her sons and she will go while in exile!
King Creon finally agrees and leaves from her house.
Then her betrayer, Jason comes to see his mad and angry wife.
He tells her that he does everything for the benefit
of this family and she shouldn't act thoughtlessly!
After a few years, when he will have inherited the throne,
he says, Medea can return back to
Medea is furious! She doesn't believe a word he says.
The women of
She begs him in love" I'm your wife! These are your children!
Think again! Where should we flee when in exile, since all
Yet nothing can change his mind now!
He abandons her and leaves her mourning for her bad fate.
Aegeas, King of Athens arrives in Medea's house to ask for her help;
He needs Medea to decode an oracle from Pythia,
which will cure him from infertility!
Medea asks in return a shelter in
He is happy to agree to his friend's request!
He leaves.
Now Medea only thinks of Revenge.
For all the sufferings her hateful husband offered to her.
She cries: " Death is dearer for me now. I have no land,
no home and no refuge for my pain."
She reveals her plan of killing Creussa
and stabbing her own children to the Women of Corinth.
The Women of Corinth try to make her change her mind
and warn her that from such an action she will be suffering the most.
But in vain, their voices are not heard.
To see her husband suffer is the only thing Medea cares about now.
She prepares for Creussa a fine white robe
and a crown made from the most precious treasures she brought with her from
She ingrains them with poisonous potions and casts a spell on them.
Then asks from the women of
that Medea wants to speak with him.
Jason accompanied by the Women of Corinth,
arrives at her request and Medea tells him that she thought rationally
and agrees with his wise actions.
She will go to exile but asks him to think of their children
and persuade his new wife to keep them and raise them, so they won't suffer in exile.
She shows him the gifts she made to help him persuade Creussa.
The children come and carry the presents along with Jason to the
Creussa is amused by the gifts and agrees to keep the children.
The children return to their home and as Creussa tries on her new fine robe
and put the glorious crown on her head,
the spell and the poison takes action. The crown and the robe
become one with her skin and she’s now wrapped in poisonous flames.
Her father, King Creon tries to save her, but end up burning together
with his beloved daughter.
The whole palace is on fire. Everything is crushed.
Jason escapes in the last minute.
Medea in her house takes the final step!
Neither the pain she feels in her flesh,
neither the begging of the women of
As she attacks her children their screams and her mourning create a wicked melody.
They are wrapped in divine fire flames, that form a chariot,
the golden chariot of the Sun.
As Jason arrives, he curses Medea and demands to see his children!
Medea resists his begging and full of hatred words.
He shall never see his sons again!
As the bodies of her children lie now dead on the chariot,
their souls are still immortal; as Hera secretly has promised to Medea.
Medea flees to the skies and sets the bodies of her children
in the
Jason goes to find his old boat Argo and sits there mourning.
A beam of the boat falls on him and kills him.
The women of
and return to their homes.
***
Bibliography
Graves, R. (1990). ‘Medea in Exile’. The Greek Myths: Volume Two. Penguin Books.
Appelbaum ,S. (ed.) (1993). ‘Euripides Medea (Unabridged)’.
Way, A., S. (transl.) (1956). ‘MEDEA’. Euripides: Plays. Volume One. J. M. Dent & Sons LTD.
Murray, G. (transl.) (1933). ‘Euripides: The Medea’. Unwin Brothers LTD.
Kennelly, B. (2006). ‘When Then is Now: Three Greek Tragedies’. Bloodaxe Books Ltd.
Bolen, J., S. (1985). ‘Goddesses in Everywoman’. Harper
Innes, M., M. (transl.) (1955). ’The Metamorphoses of Ovid: Book VII’. Penguin Books.
Church, A. (1880) ‘The Vengeance of Medea’. Stories from the Greek Tragedians. Seeley, Jackson and Halliday.
Fourouklas, L. (2009). ‘Η Απολογία της Μήδειας’. (The Apologia of Medea). Available at http://lakisf.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-post_16.html (accessed on 08/01/09).
Λάκη σε ευχαριστώ πολύ για την έμπνευση.
Η εκδοχή σου με έκανε να συνδεθώ με την Μήδεια σε πρωτόγονο επίπεδο.
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Χαίρομαι που η εκδοχή μου, σου χάρισε κάτι :)
Σου εύχομαι ό,τι το καλύτερο.
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