"The spectators are compelled thereby to view, however reluctantly, Medea's psychology as relevant to their own, although after the infanticide they may feel the impulse to dismiss her..... as a highly emotional and irrational barbarian sorceress who could have nothing in common with a sensible and decent Greek male" (Lawrence 49).
In Medea, Euripides provokes an ongoing sense of pity in the audience regarding his title character, even after she murders her children. According to Stuart Lawrence, author of "Audience Uncertainty and Euripides' Medea," the beginning of the play puts the audience at ease, as they hear the nurse's speech that pities Medea as well as her cries from inside the castle. From the onset, the audience sees Medea as a victim of Jason's broken oath. However, this shifts slightly when Medea begins to explain her plans to kill Creon, Jason, and his bride in one of her dramatic monologues:
"...The best way is the most direct, to use the skills I have by nature and poison them, destroy them with my drugs" (Euripides 391-393).
At this point, the audience may still feel pity for Medea due to her circumstances, but instead watches with wonder and slight fear at what she will do next. However, they do not only see Medea as a creature of pity, but understand that she wishes for vengeance as well. This makes her appear more human-- audiences everywhere can relate to the stages of grief regarding loosing a loved one, whether they have wronged us (in Medea's case) or not. After Medea murders her children, however, the audience still feels compelled to view Jason as the villain. Ancient Greek context prevents Medea from being placed as the villain since the Gods do not condone her actions or punish her-- instead, she flies off on a chariot with the bodies of her children. The Gods aid her in escaping from those who would kill her for her crime, contradicting an ending that any audience not familiar with the story would have expected in an ancient Greek setting (Lawrence).
Perhaps this is why Euripides did not win the City Dionysia, as ancient Greek audiences wanted to see punishment for an infant-killing foreigner, regardless of how justified she appeared.
Why is Medea still relevant today?
When reading Medea, a common question comes to mind: why are we all so fascinated with a woman who murders her children? The answer comes in Euripides' characterization of Medea throughout the play. Even though Medea is a foreign sorceress with Godly relatives, she is still human-- she falls in love with Jason, experiences heartbreak, and ultimately seeks revenge. She is acting under a principle of justice, thus allowing the audience to understand her horrible deeds.
"It follows that the audience cannot dismiss Medea as uncivilized or inhuman or un-Greek, insofar as her motivation is legitimized by the code [of justice]" (Lawrence 55). Interestingly, the directors and collaborators of multiple adaptations of Medea have input regarding why the story remains popular today. Carrie Cracknell, the director of London National Theatre's production of Medea, explains how the production itself "[feels] very present, very contemporary... [Medea] is the archetypal vulnerable, abused single mother" (Williams). Even though the text itself is old, modern audiences can relate to Medea regardless of her acts of infanticide. She has notable characteristics of every human being, which can be fascinating when placed into a juxtaposition with her acts. Ben Power, who adapted National Theatre's Medea into a slightly updated text, also explains how the character of Medea is psychologically interesting, as she is experiencing both grief and pressure and acting upon those emotions. Mike Bartlett, the director of an adapted, completely modernized Medea, explains how issues such as gender politics were already present in the ancient text and fit into the modern world. He states that they do not need these issues do not need to be updated, but instead the issues present in the story "feel exactly like the things that people are talking about now" (Sulaiman). Since Medea has such a modern, universal feel, these creatives feel as if is well suited for the many adaptations that it has been given.