The play Medea, by Euripides begins as any good play of substance does, opening in a heightened sense of turmoil and conflict. The story opens with the wailing sounds of a woman crying; a desperate woman at the end of her pitiful rope weeping over her broken heart; a heart that was destroyed by her adulteress husband, Jason. Unannounced to his wife Medea, Jason decided to remarry into royalty. He wed the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth; which is also the Greek city where the play is set. This is the root of all the problems that stem from this play and its main characters.
At the start of the play you are met by the family's nurse who recalls the events that have led Medea and her two children to their current condition. She talks of how Jason and Medea had fled to Corinth together in exile. There they had settled down and were quite content until Jason became restless and abandoned Medea and their children. Jason's wickedness wounded Medea deeply and had since kept her in this current state of depression. So discontent with her husband she curses her own life as well as the lives of her children. Her cries of lament are heard far and near and she is visited by local woman who wish to see to the problem and help in some way.
During that same time she is also visited by the King Creon who has also heard her cries and rants of revenge against her husband and his new wife, the princess. Fearing the wrath of Medea, Creon banishes Medea and her children from his kingdom. Medea begs the king for forgiveness and asks that he allows them to stay but one night to ponder where they will go. The king being kindhearted granted Medea one night to gather her thoughts and plan her next move. Satisfied with this Medea then begins to plot her revenge, when she is approached by Jason. Jason is angry about the way Medea has acted and tries to convince her that his remarriage is the best move for the whole family and proceeds to tell her that he will provide for her and his children during their exile.
