It's an interesting play from a literary perspective in that it involves a pretty sophisticated plot to build sympathy for the character of Medea who has been reduced from queen to slave, but then turns into an ultimate villain and slays the children. Stephen King's Carrie and many other stories are very reminiscent of this dynamic in pop-culture. The play has one of the most famous endings in all of literature, so it may also be an example of dramatic irony. Most audiences know what Medea is going to do, even though the character of Medea does not.