Medea (Johnson play)

Medea is a 1731 play written by Charles Johnson, an English playwright. It is an adaptation of Euripides' classic Greek tragedy, Medea. Johnson's version, while retaining the basic storyline of Medea's betrayal by Jason and her subsequent revenge, significantly alters the tone and emphasis of the original.

Johnson's Medea aims for a more sentimental and less overtly brutal portrayal of the characters. The play strives to evoke pity and understanding for Medea, softening the darker aspects of her character and emphasizing the injustice she suffers at the hands of Jason. Unlike Euripides' work, Johnson's Medea attempts to justify her actions, portraying them as a consequence of extreme emotional distress and abandonment rather than inherent malice.

The play was performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and was initially successful. However, it has not achieved the lasting recognition or critical acclaim of Euripides' original or other subsequent adaptations of the Medea myth. Johnson's Medea remains a notable example of 18th-century dramatic adaptations of classical Greek plays, highlighting the shifting sensibilities and moral perspectives of the period. It showcases a desire to create more sympathetic and less morally ambiguous characters for the stage, even when dealing with profoundly tragic themes.