Médée
| Médée | |
|---|---|
 Title page from the first edition of Phèdre et Hippolyte | |
| Written by | Pierre Corneille |
| Characters | Médée Créon (king of Corinth) Ægée Jason Pollux Créuse |
| Setting | Corinth |
Médée is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Pierre Corneille in 1635.
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. Jason's suicide is implied.
Médée (1635) in Pierre Corneille's career
Médée was Corneille's first tragedy. This tragedy was performed for the first time in 1635 by the Marais troupe, the rival of the hôtel de Bourgogne. During its installataion at the théâtre du Marais, the play's reception was lukewarm. Furthermore, the performances of Médée followed Corneille's expulsion from the prestigious group of five authors. The playwright no longer had the protection of Richelieu who, resentful, greeted Corneille's first tragedy with disapproval. Médée was published in 1639, four years after it was first performed.
Seneca : both example and source of inspiration for Corneille
Corneille, inspired by the play by Seneca et by the play by Euripedes, also brought numerous personal modifications to his interpretations.