Euripides' Medea is one of the most often read, studied and performed of all Greek tragedies. A searingly cruel story of a woman's brutal revenge on a husband who has rejected her for a younger and richer bride, it is unusual among Greek dramas for its acute portrayal of female psychology. Medea can appear at once timeless and strikingly modern. Yet, the play is very much a product of the political and social world of fifth century Athens and an understanding of its original context, as well as a consideration of the responses of later ages, is crucial to appreciating this work and its legacy. This collection of essays by leading academics addresses these issues, exploring key themes such as revenge, character, mythology, the end of the play, the chorus and Medea's role as a witch. Other essays look at the play's context, religious connotations, stagecraft and reception. The essays are accompanied by David Stuttard's English translation of the play, which is performer-friendly, accessible yet accurate and closely faithful to the original.

List of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsList of ContributorsForewordDavid Stuttard: Introduction: Medea in Context1. Jasper Griffin: Murder in the Family, Medea and Others2. Carmel McCallum-Barry: On Medea 3. Ioanna Karamanou: Otherness and Exile: The Trilogy of 431 BC4. Rosie Wyles: Staging Medea 5. Ian Ruffell: Medea's Nurse6. James Morwood: Understanding Jason 7. Richard Rutherford: The End of Medea8. Sophie Mills: The Chorus in Medea9. Hanna Roisman: Vengeance in Medea10. Douglas Cairns: Medea: Feminism or Misogyny?11. Edith Hall: Medea and the Divine12. Betine Van Zyl Smit: Black Medeas Euripides, Medea, translated by David StuttardBibliographyIndex