Medea of Euripides

The story opens with Jason, exiled prince of Iolcos, embarking on the perilous Argonautic quest for the Golden Fleece. His journey is fraught with monsters and trial, but it is Medea, the sorceress daughter of King Aeetes, who rescues him from impossible odds, slaying a guardian dragon and stealing the prized fleece. Their partnership quickly turns into a passionate union, and together they sail home, hoping to reclaim Jason’s birthright.

Back in Iolcos the couple confront a hostile court where Pelias still clings to power. Medea, fierce and cunning, uses her magical gifts to exact a brutal revenge on the usurper, an act that forces the pair into sudden exile. Fleeing toward the city of Corinth, they find themselves at a new ruler’s doorstep, where Medea’s fierce loyalty and Jason’s restless ambition begin to clash with the expectations of a civilized polis. Their arrival sets the stage for a tense struggle between love, power, and the stark consequences of betrayal.