Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Medea (1969) movie poster

Timeline

Medea (1969) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1969 · 118 mins · Italian
Loading streaming availability…
Directed by
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Starring
Massimo Girotti, Maria Callas, Paul Jabara, Rossana Canghiari, Maria Smith, Sergio Tramonti

The film follows Medea, a foreign woman in ancient Greece whose status is jeopardized when her husband Jason abandons her for another woman. In a blaze of vengeance she murders her own children, kills her brother, and burns her rival, embodying the tragic fury of Euripides’ classic tale. Maria Callas delivers a powerful performance.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 The book behind the movie
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like Medea
  7. 7 Every angle
Loading streaming availability…

15 events in order · contains spoilers

Medea Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Medea (1969) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Pelias seizes the throne from Aeson

    In Iolcus, King Aeson is violently removed from power by his half-brother Pelias. Aeson’s betrayal leaves his son Giasone hidden away to keep him safe. The crisis sets the stage for a future challenge that will hinge on the retrieval of a legendary relic.

    When
    before Giasone grows up
    Where
    Iolcus
  2. Chirone hides Giasone and teaches him about the world

    Giasone is hidden with the centaur Chirone to keep him safe from Pelias. Chirone becomes his mentor, teaching him about life, the world beyond Iolcus, and the prophecy of a voyage to Colchis. He prepares the boy for a destiny tied to the Golden Fleece.

    Where
    Chirone's wilderness sanctuary
  3. Giasone returns to Iolcus and challenges Pelias

    As an adult, Giasone travels to Iolcus and openly challenges Pelias for the throne. He asserts that a rightful claim requires action, not words. His rebellion rekindles the conflict between the old king and the heir.

    When
    adult age
    Where
    Iolcus
  4. Pelias tests Giasone: fetch the Golden Fleece

    Pelias sets a deadly bargain: Giasone can have the throne if he retrieves the Golden Fleece from Colchis, a distant land across the world. Giasone accepts the dangerous quest, drawn by duty and destiny. The journey becomes a turning point for many lives.

    Where
    Iolcus to Colchis
  5. Medea's vow to steal the fleece

    Medea, priestess of Colchis, envisions Giasone and is consumed by desire for him. She seeks help from her brother Apsirto to assist in stealing the fleece before his arrival. Her plan marks the collision of magical ritual with mortal longing.

    When
    before departure
    Where
    Colchis
  6. The Argonauts join the voyage toward Colchis

    Giasone and Medea join the Argonauts as they march toward Colchis, a perilous journey through wilderness and seas. The group travels with shared purpose, but danger continues to mount as Colchians pursue them. The pursuit intensifies the urgency of their escape.

    When
    during voyage
    Where
    Wilderness leading to Colchis
  7. The fleece is stolen; Medea delays pursuit by sacrificing her brother

    The Colchians realize the fleece has vanished. Medea realizes their pursuers are closing in, and she kills her brother Apsirto, dismembers him, and uses the body parts to halt the chase. The gruesome act buys time for the fugitives to escape.

    When
    during escape
    Where
    Colchis
  8. Medea arrives in Greece; spiritual crisis

    Having escaped Colchis, Medea reaches Greece and undergoes a spiritual crisis, feeling alien to Greek earth and its magic. She struggles to connect with the land and its rituals, torn between her old powers and new surroundings. The clash foreshadows her later choices.

    When
    after escape
    Where
    Greece
  9. Return to Iolcus; deliver the fleece, Pelias reneges

    Giasone and Medea return to Iolcus and deliver the fleece to Pelias, who refuses to honor the bargain or grant the throne. This betrayal solidifies Giasone’s disillusionment with the fleece’s power. Medea’s status as a ritual outsider continues to strain their relationship.

    When
    upon return
    Where
    Iolcus
  10. Giasone becomes distant; Medea adapts to Greek life

    Medea assumes the role of a traditional Greek wife, yet Giasone grows bored and distant. He seeks a new alliance and travels toward a political future rather than the old quest. The couple’s personal dissonance grows as cultural tensions mount.

    When
    after return
    Where
    Greece (Iolcus to Corinth)
  11. Giasone travels to Corinth; vision of two Chirones

    In Corinth, Giasone encounters a vision of two Chirones: a mute centaur and a speaking human. The human Chirone explains Medea’s split between ritual past and Greek present. The encounter deepens his existential doubts about their way of life.

    When
    after return
    Where
    Corinth
  12. Medea’s revenge plan unfolds: banishment and delay

    Giasone pursues a political marriage with Corinthian princess Glauce, while Creonte fears Medea’s power and banishes her. He grants her a day’s delay before departure, hoping to keep the peace. Medea uses the delay to execute her revenge plan.

    When
    in Corinth
    Where
    Corinth
  13. Medea poisons Glauce and Creonte

    Medea disguises her fury as acceptance and sends Glauce a poisoned robe and crown. Glauce dies from the garments; Creonte dies in her poisonous wake. The royal household is consumed by a deadly ruse and fear.

    When
    night of the wedding
    Where
    Corinth
  14. Medea murders her two sons and burns the house

    That same night, Medea kills her two sons in front of no one, bathing and then stabbing them. She arranges their bodies on separate beds and then sets the house ablaze with the corpses inside. The city is left reeling as Giasone pleads for mercy but she remains unreachable.

    When
    night of the murders
    Where
    Corinth
  15. Final fallout: Giasone pleads to bury the children; Medea refuses

    Giasone begs to bury their children, but Medea refuses, declaring that nothing is possible anymore. The couple’s saga ends in flames and tragedy, with future consequences for all involved. The fleece’s power is revealed to be hollow against such a ruinous vengeance.

    When
    after the fires
    Where
    Corinth

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:25

Was this helpful?

Timeline questions answered

Medea Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Medea (1969): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Medea kill her brother Apsirto?

Medea kills and dismembers her brother Apsirto to stop the Colchian pursuers who are chasing the Argonauts. By scattering his body parts across the path, she forces the pursuers to stop and collect the remains, which buys crucial time for Giasone and herself to escape with the Golden Fleece.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Medea enlisted Apsirto's help to steal the fleece, showing she was already willing to sacrifice family for her plan.

  • medea
  • apsirto
  • brother murder
  • golden fleece
  • colchians
  • escape
Q2

Why does Pelias refuse to give Giasone the throne after receiving the fleece?

Pelias is a treacherous ruler who never intended to honor his bargain. The challenge to retrieve the Golden Fleece was a cunning scheme to eliminate the threat posed by Aeson's son. As a cruel tyrant who hoards power through fear, he simply reneges on his promise once the fleece is delivered.

Foreshadowing: Pelias seized the throne from his half-brother Aeson through violence, establishing his character as someone who gains power through betrayal.

  • pelias
  • giasone
  • throne
  • betrayal
  • golden fleece
  • iolcus
Q3

Why does Medea murder her own children?

Medea kills her two sons as the ultimate act of revenge against Giasone for abandoning her and their children to marry Glauce. By destroying the one thing she knows is most precious to him, she ensures he will never have an heir or any legacy from their relationship.

Foreshadowing: Medea's earlier killings of her brother and her rivals demonstrate her capacity to commit extreme acts of vengeance when betrayed.

  • medea
  • children
  • murder
  • revenge
  • giasone
  • killing children
Q4

Why does Medea poison Glauce with the gifted robe and crown?

Medea sends Glauce a poisoned robe and crown as part of her calculated revenge against Giasone's new fiancée. The deadly gift kills both Glauce and her father Creonte, destroying Giasone's political alliance and eliminating the woman who replaced her.

Foreshadowing: Medea pretends to accept her banishment and offers the gifts as a gesture of peace, concealing her true murderous intent.

  • medea
  • glauce
  • poison
  • gift
  • creonte
  • corinth
  • revenge
Q5

Why is Medea banished from Corinth?

King Creonte banishes Medea because he fears her magical powers and suspects she poses a danger to his daughter Glauce and the kingdom. While he grants her one day to prepare for departure, he wants her gone before she can enact revenge.

Foreshadowing: Giasone's plan to marry Glauce for political advancement creates the direct conflict that leads to Creonte's fear of Medea.

  • medea
  • banishment
  • corinth
  • creonte
  • glauce
  • magic
Q6

What causes Medea's spiritual crisis after arriving in Greece?

Medea experiences a profound spiritual crisis because she feels alienated from the Greek earth and its magic, unlike in Colchis where her ancient rituals were natural. She becomes torn between her ritual, earth-driven Colchian self and the new secular Greek identity forced upon her.

Foreshadowing: The vision of two Chirones in Corinth, one centaur, one human, literally represents her split between these two selves.

  • medea
  • spiritual crisis
  • colchis
  • greek
  • magic
  • identity
Q7

Why does Giasone abandon Medea for Glauce?

Giasone grows bored and distant from Medea after their return to Greece. He seeks a political alliance with the Corinthian princess Glauce to secure his future in Greek society, abandoning his foreign wife who helped him obtain the Golden Fleece.

Foreshadowing: Medea tries to adapt to a conventional Greek wife's role, but cultural tensions already strain their relationship.

  • giasone
  • medea
  • glauce
  • abandonment
  • corinth
  • marriage
Q8

What was the deal between Pelias and Giasone?

Pelias offered Giasone the throne of Iolcus in exchange for retrieving the Golden Fleece from Colchis. This dangerous bargain was meant to be an impossible task that would remove the heir as a threat, but Giasone accepted and succeeded with Medea's help.

Foreshadowing: Chirone taught Giasone about the legendary voyage to Colchis, preparing him for this very destiny.

  • pelias
  • giasone
  • golden fleece
  • deal
  • bargain
  • throne
  • iolcus
Q9

Why does Medea refuse to let Giasone bury their children?

Medea refuses burial because she has been completely destroyed by grief, rage, and the loss of her children. Her final declaration that "nothing is possible anymore" reflects her complete emotional collapse, she denies Giasone even the comfort of burying their sons, leaving the tragedy utterly without catharsis.

Foreshadowing: The murders occur offscreen while she bathes and cradles them, showing the depth of her transformation into pure vengeance.

  • medea
  • burial
  • children
  • flames
  • giasone
  • final scene
Q10

What happens to the Golden Fleece after Pelias reneges?

The Golden Fleece proves to be a hollow prize. Even after Giasone and Medea successfully retrieve it and deliver it to Pelias, the fleece cannot secure Giasone's rightful throne. Its legendary power means nothing against the treachery of those who wield political power.

Foreshadowing: The fleece is the driving goal of the entire first half of the film, yet its ultimate worthlessness becomes clear upon return to Iolcus.

  • golden fleece
  • pelias
  • power
  • prize
  • betrayal
Q11

Why does Medea become so vengeful after Giasone abandons her?

Medea's vengeance stems from being a foreign woman in Greece whose status depended entirely on her husband. When Giasone abandons her for a Greek princess, she loses everything, her status, her identity, and her purpose. Her extreme violence reflects the total destruction of her world and her identity.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes her alien status early through her spiritual crisis and inability to connect with Greek earth.

  • medea
  • vengeance
  • abandonment
  • status
  • foreign
  • identity

Movie threads

More Movies Like Medea, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Medea tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about tragic vengeance and betrayal like Medea

Stories where a profound betrayal unleashes a devastating and irreversible cycle of revenge. If you were captivated by the devastating revenge in Medea, explore other movies like it. This collection features stories of profound betrayal and tragic vengeance, where characters are pushed to extreme acts, resulting in heavy emotional weight and bleak conclusions.

  • vengeful
  • tragic
  • grim
  • somber
  • passionate
  • oppressive
  • Tone: dark, oppressive, somber
  • Pacing: steady, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a clear, tragic arc: a deep-seated betrayal destabilizes the protagonist's world, igniting a single-minded quest for vengeance. This path is typically linear and relentless, stripping away the character's humanity as they commit increasingly horrific acts, culminating in a conclusion where there are no winners, only ashes.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared focus on the dark psychology of revenge. They possess a high emotional intensity, a somber and oppressive tone, and a pacing that steadily builds towards an inevitable, catastrophic climax. The experience is defined by its heavy emotional weight and exploration of moral limits.

Movies with a ritualistic atmosphere and psychological collapse like Medea

Films where psychological collapse is framed through a primal, ritualistic lens. Fans of the ritualistic and alienating vibe of Medea will find similar movies here. These films feature characters undergoing a psychological breakdown expressed through symbolic, ceremonial actions, creating a surreal and somber mood that builds to a devastating climax.

  • ritualistic
  • alienating
  • somber
  • surreal
  • oppressive
  • psychological
  • Tone: somber, alienating, surreal
  • Pacing: steady, hypnotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative structure often mirrors a rite of passage in reverse, charting a character's de-evolution. Their grief, rage, or existential crisis manifests in deliberate, patterned behaviors that feel both personal and ancient. The pacing is often deliberate, allowing the ritualistic elements to build an almost hypnotic sense of dread towards a horrific, transformative act.

Why they belong together: These films share a unique aesthetic and tonal quality where mood is paramount. They blend high-tension drama with surreal or symbolic elements, creating an experience that is both emotionally heavy and intellectually provocative. The connection lies in the ritualistic execution of emotion and the resulting oppressive, otherworldly atmosphere.

If you liked this

Movies Like Medea

Similar movies to Medea: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

Medea (1969) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Medea in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app