MEDEA

THE PLAY…..

ORIGIN

Euripides’ Medea was a retelling of Greek mythological story. Over decades this play has caught attention of many experimental theatre practitioners, writers, and mass of literature enthusiasts since the era of 431 BC. Going back to the societies of Greek’s Athens, we see the history itself being vocal about the stereotypical patriarchy, silencing the Female gender.

THE STORY: MEDEA RETOLD

Medea was the granddaughter of Helias, the Sun God prior to Apollo and the princess to Aeetes, the king of Colchis. Colchis was far off, at the edge of the Black Sea, which the Greek believed to be land of the ‘unknown’,‘barbaric’ and residence of magical tribes. Colchis was guarded by the Golden Fleece which Jason quested to steal. Jason, the great hero of the Argonauts and the male protagonist of the play from Locus, shared the tragic flaw of hamartia with Medea.

Medea blinded by the love of Jason, slayed the guardian beast and helped Jason steal the Golden Fleece. In this act of treachery she killed her own brother Apsyrtus, threw his body into pieces, to buy time for the lovers to flee from the land. The betrayed father in deep grief of the death of his son left the chase and went collecting the pieces of Apsytus for the funeral. Medea to secure the thrown for Jason manipulated Pelias’ daughters to restore their father’s youth if they cut him to pieces. After the act was done Medea had confessed her false promise. This not only failed her to win Jason his thrown but lead the couple into exile along with their two sons. They had taken refuge in Corinth and later took Glauce, the daughter of the king of the land, Creon, as a new bride.

This betrayal was unbearable for Medea and anticipating her rage, Creon had banished her from the land with her sons. He had feared her knowledge. As we hear her say- why fear the knowledge of drugs and cure of a woman, a little more than a common man has? She had begged to spare her a day. The time she bought came as a curse to Creon land itself. Earlier Jason tried convincing Medea –‘it was for the best’ but the lovers had an accusing exchange where Jason rationalized his actions and offered Medea money to comfort the exile which Medea proudly refused, finding him spineless. Now Medea had called for Jason and showed generosity which melted Jason. She allowed her sons to the castle and offered the new bride gifts of poisoned robe and a tiara. The poisoned cloth burned off her flesh and the site of it made the father throw himself into the same pyre. The death of the royals was sure to ablaze the flame revenge in Corinth and thus Medea took promise of refuge and shelter from an old friend, Aegeus, the king of Athens. She had promised him an heir and to cure his sterility with her knowledge of medicine. Realizing the fatal fate of her two sons she decides to kill them and punish Jason to the extent that devastates him. By the time Jason reaches to save the children, they were dead whose bodies flew in the dragon chariot Medea drew out into the sky to Athens. The curtain calls at such an unpredictable end.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE…..

The journey of Medea – a princess, sorceress, a lover, a hater, a revenger and a killer , so exquisitely woven into the plot in conflict with other characters that has been the finest example of a complete woman with the appeal of both condemnation and adoration. Besides, no one can ignore the political aspect of the play implied with enough relevant modern renderings.

Though Greece held its head high taking pride in being the pure Aryan breed, bestowed with knowledge, skill and power, here indeed we hinted at the men of the society! The women were casted out if they thought otherwise. These women were dependent totally on their husbands and be proud of their achievements else they had to stagger along with their men, soiling them to success.

The central theme of the play also metaphorically refers to the century-long colonial betrayal and exploitation of the West to the East. The world of dark magic, wild passion and opulent emotion comes in conflict with the world of rationality, imperialistic judgment and materialistic prudence and is lost for ever. The protagonist in a way thus represents the collective consciousness of the pangs and agony of all the deprived displaced people of the world. Medea, once exiled herself from her motherland and subsequently threatened to be exiled by king Creon , suffers the anguish of a homeless , identitylesss, landless non- existent entity and the saga of sorrow never ends.

My plan to reincarnate Medea on stage is not merely to display all that has been said and done about Medea but to deconstruct under modern lime light and bring about relevant modern issues. I designed to bestow light on the inter-textual discourse, extending the language barriers, of how sex, power politics interplay and how one is treated with native land laws in a foreign land, the silences and pauses that are left to be explored, and the gender politics in a more psychological approach. Though this play has been staged in different classical as well as adapted forms in many parts of the world, not much has been explored in India specially in Bengali theatre, thus through Medea many aspects of the society is aimed to be touched and be vocal about the forced long pauses in the society.