Metamorphoses · Character

Medea

The sorceress who betrays her father and homeland for Jason, then punishes his betrayal with a vengeance that spares no one.

supporting

Also known as Youth Medea

First appearance: Death of Pelias

As a supporting figure in Metamorphoses, Medea is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Enchantress who aids Jason, restores Aeson, and tricks Pelias's daughters into murdering their father.

In the storyBook VIIOpen this moment free

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Medea is a king's daughter and a skilled enchantress who falls for the foreign hero Jason and helps him win the golden fleece, abandoning her family to sail away with him. When Jason later marries Glauce, Medea's love curdles into methodical revenge: she destroys the bride, her father, and her own children. Her story is the poem's darkest study of passion, betrayal, and the terrifying logic of a woman who has nothing left to lose.

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The fuller portrait of Medea sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Medea in Death of Pelias

Character Web

33 connections

A slice of how Medea sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Psychological
Social
Other

Character groups

Transformation through desire and violence
Underworld journeys and divine power
Diverse mortals and gods in transformation
Protagonist
Heroes, gods, and their victims

+28 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Telethusa’s de…

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Relationships

Echo
psychological · ambivalent
Echo and Medea are linked by themes of obsession and manipulation, though not directly… How this plays out →
Jason
romantic · negative
Venus
psychological · ambivalent
Io
social · ambivalent
Io
social · ambivalent
Venus
psychological · ambivalent

Echo
Echo and Medea are linked by themes of obsession and manipulation, though not directly interacting.
Jason
Jason marries Medea after she helps him, but he later abandons her, turning love to bitter rivalry.
Venus
Venus manipulates Medea's emotions to aid Jason, using her as a tool of divine will.
Io
Io and Medea are both victims of divine and human cruelty, but not directly connected.
Io
Io and Medea are both victims of divine and human cruelty, but not directly connected.
Venus
Venus manipulates Medea's emotions to aid Jason, using her as a tool of divine will.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Medea in Death of Pelias

In the story

Medea appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Book VII
Enchantress who aids Jason, restores Aeson, and tricks Pelias's daughters into murdering their father.
Story of Medea and Jason
The Colchian princess and sorceress who falls in love with Jason, helps him overcome trials, and flees with him.
Old Aeson Restored to Youth
The enchantress who restores Aeson to youth using powerful magic and rituals.
Death of Pelias
Feigns a quarrel with Jason, deceives Pelias' daughters, performs the fatal operation on Pelias, and later murders her children and Glauce before escaping on a dragon chariot.
Story of Aegeus
Flees from Corinth to Athens, marries Aegeus, and attempts to poison Theseus before being driven away.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Medea unlock in the free preview.

See Medea in Death of Pelias

See Medea in Book VII