How far would you go to take revenge on someone who took everything you have? This question plagues Medea, a foreign woman living in Greece after cutting all ties with her homeland and family and settling with a noble Greek warrior named Jason. Jason suddenly shatters Medea's new life and sense of being when he remarries to a Corinthian princess and orders the bewildered Medea into exile. With nothing to lose, Medea plots and exacts her revenge utilizing sly cunning, convincing deception, and unthinkable brutality, all the while hoping that fate remains on her side.
Euripides' "Medea" tells the timeless tale of love, loss, betrayal, and retribution that plays out all too often in the lives of many individuals. Readers will quickly relate to Medea's rage and torment at the hands of a seemingly selfish and thoughtless betrayal. Readers will find themselves at times cheering for and at others praying against the manipulative Medea as she attempts to claim an ultimate victory at extreme cost to her family and herself. Thus, Euripides addresses the infinite struggle between pain and revenge through Medea's troubles and actions. An easy and fast-paced read, "Medea" constantly calls readers' own morals into question as they form their own opinion on who, if anyone, holds the fault in the story. At its anticlimactic ending, Euripides calls the entire idea of morality and justice into question, something that many readers will relate to when exposed to the evils and hatred of the world today.
Readers wanting more works that question their character's sense of right and wrong will appreciate William Shakespeare's famous play "Macbeth", which recounts a similar tail of mixed morality. Those enjoying the brevity and fast-paced drama involving a strong woman protagonist will also enjoy August Strindberg's play "Miss Julie". For another incredibly deep view of conflicting spouse values and a deteriorating (literally) marriage, readers may want to check out Stephen King's chilling novella "1922".