is a play by Euripides that deals with Jason's return from the events in The Odyssey. Jason enlisted Medea's help in retrieving the Golden Fleece. Medea, having become a traitor to her own people for the love of Jason, has no choice but to flee with Jason. Upon returning to Jason's home, Medea learns he has led her on and that he is married with children. Furthermore Medea is reduced to that of a servant to care for the children. She exacts her revenge against Jason by killing his children in what it one of the most horrific plays of the Greek tragedies. Infanticide is taboo in most cultures, and as a result Medea is often seen as “evil” or villainous.

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.