Medea 2

Tutor

Why all alone, old woman? — Mistress Medea’s servant — standing here outside the gate, spewing miseries to your own ears!

How can Medea spare your help when she needs you?

Nurse

You, old man — who look after Jason’s children — you should know that when fortune turns against our masters it’s disaster for us.

Their hurt tears at our hearts.

This surging grief swept me out of the house and set me here to cry my mistress’ pains to earth and sky alike.

Tutor

So the miserable woman still hasn’t stopped her wailing?

Nurse

I envy your stupidity. This is only the beginning of her pain — it’s not even halfway to its peak.

Tutor

What a sorry fool — if I can call my betters such — how blind she is to fresh misery.

Nurse

Spit it all out, old man! Don’t hold back the rest.

Tutor

No more talk. You’ll find out sooner or later.

Nurse

Don’t hide this from me, graybeard! — we’re both slaves here — I can keep a secret safe.

Tutor

I was walking up to the round stone tables where the old men sit playing checkers, by Pirene’s sacred fountain, when I overheard a rumor that Lord Creon is about to banish these children and their mother into exile from Corinth.

But I can’t guarantee this gossip.

I hope it’s not true.

Nurse

But how could Jason let this happen to his sons even if he crosses their mother?

Tutor

An old marriage vow dissolves into a new one — there is no love left in this house.

Nurse

We’re doomed if this new misery pours in before we can even drain these old wounds.

Tutor

Hush! Say nothing to her — now is not the time.

Nurse

Children, listen!

Can you? — can you understand, what kind of father you have?

I’ll stop short of cursing him because he is my master, but he betrays the ones he should love.

Tutor

Who doesn’t?

Just selfish human nature — we mortals love ourselves first.

And because he has a new wife, this father no longer loves these boys.