''Médée'' is a dramatic

tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...

in five acts written in

alexandrine Alexandrine is a name used for several distinct types of verse line with related metrical structures, most of which are ultimately derived from the classical French alexandrine. The line's name derives from its use in the Medieval French '' Ro ...

verse by

Pierre Corneille Pierre Corneille (; ; 6 June 1606 – 1 October 1684) was a French tragedian. He is generally considered one of the three great 17th-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine. As a young man, he earned the valuable patronage ...

, first performed in 1635 at the Théâtre du Marais. Corneille was inspired by both the Seneca and Euripedes tellings.

Summary

The heroine of the play is the sorceress Médée. After Médée gives Jason twin boys, Jason leaves her for Creusa. Médée exacts her revenge on her husband by burning his new spouse and slitting the throats of her two children. The final act of the play ends with Médée's escape in a chariot pulled by two dragons, and Jason's suicide.

In Pierre Corneille's career

''Médée'' was Corneille's first tragedy. Furthermore, the performances of ''Médée'' followed Corneille's expulsion from Richelieu's prestigious group of five authors. The playwright no longer had the protection of Richelieu, who, resentful, greeted Corneille's first tragedy with disapproval. During its installation, the play's reception was indifferent, leading to only eight productions by the end of the 18th century.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Medee 1635 plays Adaptations of works by Seneca the Younger Plays based on ancient Greek and Roman plays Plays based on Medea (Euripides play) Plays by Pierre Corneille Tragedy plays