58 pages 1 hour read

Euripides

Medea

Fiction | Play | Adult | BCE

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Before You Read

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

Medea by Euripides revolves around the titular character, a clever and powerful witch from Colchis, who experiences profound betrayal and seeks vengeance after her husband, Jason, abandons her and their children to marry a Corinthian princess. Set in Corinth, the play follows Medea’s calculated steps as she grapples with themes of exile, betrayal, and the social injustices faced by women. The play contains themes involving domestic strife and intense emotions.

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Euripides's Medea is widely praised for its powerful portrayal of passion and revenge, with intense emotional depth and complex characters. Critics commend its exploration of gender and justice, although some note its brutal themes may unsettle modern readers. Despite this, the play's dramatic structure and timeless relevance continue to captivate audiences.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Medea?

A reader who enjoys Medea by Euripides likely appreciates classic Greek tragedy, complex emotional narratives, and themes of revenge and passion. Similar readers may enjoy Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and Antigone by Sophocles, which also explore intense human emotions and moral dilemmas within a dramatic framework.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Lexile Level

1260

Book Details

Genre

Mythology

Play: Tragedy

Classic Fiction

Themes

Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Relationships: Marriage

Period

Ancient Greece