Medea characters

Appears from the start

A princess of Colchis living as an exile in Corinth. She betrayed her family and homeland to help Jason obtain the Golden Fleece, then fled with him and bore his children. When Jason abandons her for a royal marriage, her grief and fury place her in conflict with Corinthian power and with the limits imposed on a foreign woman.

Appears from the start

Medea's husband and the Greek hero she helped in Colchis. He has left her to marry the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth, presenting the match as a prudent way to improve his position and secure the future of his sons.

Appears from the start

The king of Corinth and father of Jason's new bride. He fears Medea's intelligence, anger, and knowledge of magic, and orders her and her children into immediate exile to protect his household.

Also known as Creon's daughter, Jason's bride

Appears from the start

The unnamed princess of Corinth whom Jason is to marry. She is Creon's daughter and the center of the royal alliance that has displaced Medea, though she does not speak onstage.

Appears from the start

Medea's longtime household servant, who opens the play by explaining the family's ruin. Loyal to her mistress but frightened by the force of Medea's anger, she worries particularly about the safety of the children.

Appears from the start

The servant responsible for Jason and Medea's two young sons. He brings news from the city and shares the Nurse's concern as the household faces banishment.

Appears from the start

The two unnamed sons of Medea and Jason. Too young to understand their parents' struggle, they are threatened with exile because they share Medea's household.

Appears from the start

The king of Athens, encountered while seeking guidance about his inability to have children. His arrival offers Medea a possible refuge beyond Creon's authority.

Appears from the start

A group of Corinthian women who hear Medea's case and respond to the crisis unfolding in the royal household. They serve as witnesses and moral commentators rather than participants with political power.