автордың кітабын онлайн тегін оқу Medea. Illustrated edition
Euripides
Medea
The story of Medea is only one part of a myth about the Argonauts' campaign. It portrays Jason joining a battle with fire-breathing bulls and a dragon guarding the Golden Fleece, Medea is helping him tame the beasts. She then follows him to Greece, because she falls in love.
It is also a story of how a once young, beautiful and joyful woman, transforms into a monster, hungry for revenge, she kills even her own children. A long trail of horrible deaths, tied to her life path, is hard to imagine.
Pretty illustrations by Vladislav Kolomoets provide you with new impressions from reading this legendary story.
Characters of the play
MEDEA, daughter of Aietes, King of Colchis.
JASON, chief of the Argonauts; nephew of Pelias, King of Iolcos in Thessaly.
CREON, ruler of Corinth.
AEGEUS, King of Athens.
NURSE of Medea.
TWO CHILDREN of Jason and Medea.
ATTENDANT on the children.
A MESSENGER.
CHORUS of Corinthian Women, with their LEADER.
Soldiers and Attendants.
The scene is laid in Corinth. The play was first acted when Pythodorus was Archon, Olympiad 87, year 1 (B.C. 431). Euphorion was first, Sophocles second, Euripides third, with Medea, Philoctetes, Dictys, and the Harvesters, a Satyr-play.
MEDEA
The Scene represents the front of MEDEA'S House in Corinth. A road to the right leads towards the royal castle, one on the left to the harbour. The NURSE is discovered alone.
NURSE
Would God no Argo e'er had winged the seas
To Colchis through the blue Symplegades[1]:
No shaft of riven pine in Pelion's[2] glen
Shaped that first oar-blade in the hands of men
Valiant, who won, to save King Pelias' vow,
The fleece All-golden! Never then, I trow,
Mine own princess, her spirit wounded sore
With love of Jason, to the encastled shore
Had sailed of old Iolcos: never wrought
The daughters of King Pelias, knowing not,
To spill their father's life: nor fled in fear,
Hunted for that fierce sin, to Corinth here
With Jason and her babes. This folk at need
Stood friend to her, and she in word and deed
Served alway Jason. Surely this doth bind,
Through all ill days, the hurts of humankind,
When man and woman in one music move.
But now, the world is angry, and true love
Sick as with poison. Jason doth forsake
My mistress and his own two sons, to make
His couch in a king's chamber. He must wed:
Wed[3] with this Creon's child, who now is head
And chief of Corinth[4]. Wherefore sore betrayed
Medea calleth up the oath they made,
They two, and wakes the clasped hands again,
The troth surpassing speech, and cries amain
On God in heaven to mark the end, and how
Jason hath paid his debt.
All fasting now
And cold, her body yielded up to pain,
Her days a waste of weeping, she hath lain,
Since first she knew that he was false. Her eyes
Are lifted not; and all her visage lies
In the dust. If friends will speak, she hears no more
Than some dead rock or wave that beats the shore:
Only the white throat in a sudden shame
May writhe, and all alone she moans the name
Of father, and land, and home, forsook that day
For this man's sake, who casteth her away.
Not to be quite shut out from home... alas,
She knoweth now how rare a thing that was!
Methinks she hath a dread, not joy, to see
Her children near. 'Tis this that maketh me
Most tremble, lest she do I know not what.
Her heart is no light thing, and useth not
To brook much wrong. I know that woman, aye,
And dread her! Will she creep alone to die
Bleeding in that old room, where still is laid
Lord Jason's bed? She hath for that a blade
Made keen[5]. Or slay the bridegroom and the king,
And win herself God knows what direr thing?
'Tis a fell spirit. Few, I ween, shall stir
Her hate unscathed, or lightly humble her.
Ha! 'Tis the children from their games again,
Rested and gay; and all their mother's pain
Forgotten! Young lives ever turn from gloom!
The CHILDREN and their ATTENDANT come in.
ATTENDANT [6]
Thou ancient treasure of my lady's room,
What mak'st thou here before the gates alone,
And alway turning on thy lips some moan
Of old mischances? Will our mistress be
Content, this long time to be left by thee?
NURSE
Grey guard of Jason's children, a good thrall
Hath his own grief, if any hurt befall
His masters. Aye, it holds one's heart!...
Meseems
I have strayed out so deep in evil dreams,
I longed to rest me here alone, and cry
Medea's wrongs to this still Earth and Sky[7].
ATTENDANT
How? Are the tears yet running in her eyes?
NURSE
'Twere good to be like thee!... Her sorrow lies
Scarce wakened yet, not half its perils wrought.
ATTENDANT
Mad spirit!.. if a man may speak his thought
Of masters mad. — And nothing in her ears
Hath sounded yet of her last cause for tears!
He moves towards the house, but the NURSE checks him.
NURSE
What cause, old man?... Nay, grudge me not one word.
ATTENDANT
'Tis nothing. Best forget what thou hast heard.
NURSE
Nay, housemate, by thy beard! Hold it not hid
From me... I will keep silence if thou bid.
ATTENDANT
I heard an old man talking,
