EPISODE 94

IN WHICH MEDEA SINKS INTO MURDEROUS FOLLY

Previously: Medea has committed another murder so that Jason can recover his throne: she has killed Jason’s uncle Pelias, who had sent him on the quest for the Golden Fleece.

Before leaving Jason and Medea, Hermes could not resist trying to find out what their future would be. He knelt down and threw his small pebbles into the water of a fountain. What he saw then confirmed his darkest forebodings.

An image appeared, that of a woman in tears kneeling before a window. This woman’s back was turned. White hairs shimmered among her long, dark tresses, which fell in disarray on her shoulders. She raised her head and Hermes recognized Medea. Perhaps because he had never seen her crying, perhaps because of the few wrinkles that had fixed themselves in the corners of her eyes, perhaps because for the first time she actually seemed fragile, he was quite overcome to find her like this. The distress expressed on Medea’s face was overwhelming. Hermes followed Medea’s gaze to see what was causing her so much suffering. The window gave on to a garden. In the garden, a man was embracing a very young woman. That man was Jason. Hermes recognized him immediately, even if he too had silver threads among his black curls. He observed the blonde hair of the young girl whom Jason was kissing, he heard her laughter, saw her fresh and firm skin, and an infinite sadness invaded him. How could Jason be disloyal to the one who had sacrificed everything for him? Was his word of honour of so little substance that he could betray the woman who had made him into a victor? The voice of the young girl reached Hermes’ ears:

“Daddy has told me that you have promised to leave your wife and marry me, Jason, is this true?”

“What Creon has told you is correct,” replied Jason, smiling.

With a slight note of anxiety in her voice she continued: “But how will your wife Medea react to this?”

Jason’s smile was extinguished. He made a gesture of annoyance: “She can say what she likes.”

Upon hearing these words, Hermes turned his head sharply towards Medea, who was still by her window. She was no longer kneeling. Her tears had run dry. Erect and proud, she was looking at Jason. But in her gaze there shone a light so terrible that Hermes began to fear the worst.

In Medea’s eyes Hermes could now only see hatred. He saw her take out from a great wooden chest a long white dress and pronounce some strange words; she then summoned her maidservants and ordered them: “Go and take this dress to the young girl in the garden. Tell her that it is a gift from me.” She remained alone for a few moments. Then Jason entered her room. She lifted up her eyes and waited for him to speak. But Jason turned his eyes away and went out again without uttering a single word. Medea made a gesture towards him to retain him. He was already gone. Suddenly, piercing screams were heard. Then the noise of a stampede. Silent laughter shook Medea’s body. At that instant, Hermes saw that Medea was no longer herself. She had the eyes of a madwoman.

Hermes saw then that the young girl had put on the white dress that Medea had offered her. The dress had instantly gone up in flames. She was now trying to wrench away the dress that burned her, but she could not take it off. She caught fire with it. And little by little the entire palace was overrun by the blaze. Hermes then saw the most horrible thing in the world, the thing he would never have wished to see. He saw Medea, devoured by madness, pounce on her children, the two sons she had had with Jason, and kill them with her own hands. She was howling: “Jason! Jason! Such is my vengeance! I destroy everything, everything! I destroy all that you hold dear! I destroy the flesh of your flesh since you have destroyed me!” Hermes shut his eyes. He blocked his ears. He did not want to see anything any more, nor hear anything. He threw far away his little pebbles which allowed him to read what was to be. Hermes wanted to have nothing to do with this particular future.

 

To be continued…