Euripides’, a tragedian poet and playwright of 480-406 B.C.E. Madea is unique in that it is one of the only ancient texts from Greece that portray a female subject, and sympathize with her plight. It is common knowledge that in ancient times, women had no rights. Madea, the main character of the text is both a woman and a foreigner in Athenian society. In short, she has no rights whatsoever.

The play opens in front of Madea’s house in Corinth with the nurse of Madea and Jason’s two children lamenting the fact that Madea’s husband has taken a royal bride, the daughter of Creon. Madea, the nurse tells, spends her nights mourning and raging, calling on the vows that she and Jason spoke together. The nurse reveals her fear that Madea may do something horrible to the children, because she looks at them hatefully. The children’s tutor comes out with the children and tells the nurse that Creon is going to banish Madea and her two children. The tutor tells the nurse not to let Madea know. She agrees and tells the tutor to get the children out of sight for fear that Madea may see them and fly into one of her common rages.  He leaves  and Madea is heard inside lamenting her plight.

Her husband has betrayed her, broken their vows. She shouts that she  A chorus comes by the comfort her. The nurse tells them what has happened. The chorus and the nurse hear Madea calling on Themis and Artemis for revenge. The nurse, afraid tells the chorus that her mistress will do something horrible, very soon.  The chorus wonders if Madea will see them. The nurse goes in to get Madea. She comes out and confides in her friends, lamenting the fact that she is not only a woman, but a foreigner with no family. She reveals that she killed her brother to marry Jason.  The chorus sympathizes with her. While they are speaking, Creon comes up and tells her that she and her children are banished. Madea begs him to let her stay one day to arrange some kind of provision for her children. Creon reluctantly agrees.  When Creon leaves Madea tells the chorus that she will kill both the king and his daughter by poison. She swears by Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft that Jason will not go unpunished.

After she has finished speaking, Jason comes over to her and tells her that he married Creon’s daughter for Madea’s own good and for the good of their sons. He tells her that she should have been greatful. She retorts and tells him that if it was really for their good, he would have consulted her first and asked for her blessing. Jason retorts by saying that women only care about their night life and if it is no good, they feel wronged. Madea reminds him that she saved his  life when he was searching for the golden fleece. He returns that the goddess of love Cypris saved his life, giving Madea no credit and writing her off as crafty to try to say so. He offers to provide for the children. Madea refuses his help. He leaves her.

King Aigeus of Athens comes to visit Madea. She tells him of her toubles and begs him to give her a safe haven at his palace. She makes him swear by all the gods to protect her if Jason or Creon come to try to drag her away. He swears and leaves.

Madea then plots how to murder the princess and king with the chorus. She comes up with a plan to summon Jason and apologize. She also decides to get her children to beg the princess not to send them into exile with their mother. She poisons a dress and diadem and decides to have the children deliver them; Madea also reveals that she will kill her children. She sets her plan in motion. Jason comes at her request and does not see through her apology. After a brief hesitation, he allows the children to take the dress and diadem and petition the

Some time later the tutor comes to Madea telling her of what happened to the princess. He explains that the woman was burned to death by the poison on the dress and diadem and when her father came to embrace the remains of his daughter, he became stuck to the dress and died with her. Madea is overjoyed. She now finishes the last of her plan. The  chorus begs her not to kill her children, appealing to her mother’s heart. Madea kills them anyway. Jason comes up to Madea’s place and meets the chorus. The chorus tells him that his two sons are dead. He opens the door and sees Madea in Helios’ chariot drawn by dragons. The bodies of their children are in the chariot with her.

 She gloats in her triumph, feeling pain at her children’s death; she refuses to allow him to touch, keep, or bury the bodies of the children and fly’s away in the chariot, promising to atone every year for their blood guilt. Jason calls the gods to witness how he has been wronged and the play ends.