在希腊神话中最令人毛骨悚然的独白之一中，美狄亚试图通过杀死自己的后代来报复英雄而冷酷无情的杰森（她孩子的父亲）。在希腊作家欧里庇得斯的戏剧《美狄亚》中，这种独白为古典文学中的传统女性独白提供了另一种选择。

第一位女权英雄

在剧中，美狄亚杀死了她的孩子（台下），然后乘着赫利俄斯的战车飞走了。虽然许多人认为这部戏妖魔化了女性，但也有人认为美狄亚代表了文学史上第一位女性主义女英雄，一位不顾上帝之手而选择自己命运的女性。

虽然不是典型的母亲角色独白，但玛迪亚的独白深刻地表达了爱、失落和复仇等情感的困难和多样性，这使它成为一部真正优秀的女演员试镜作品，她们希望表达自己的能力，以描绘复杂的情感深度。

美狄亚独白全文

以下独白摘自雪莱·迪安·米尔曼（Shelley Dean Milman）在《欧里庇得斯英语剧本》（第二卷）中的希腊剧本英译本，美迪亚在发现杰森将她留给科林斯公主后发表。在意识到自己被遗弃后，玛迪亚试图控制自己的生活，并说：

O my sons! My sons! ye have a city and a house Where, leaving hapless me behind, without A mother ye for ever shall reside. But I to other realms an exile go, Ere any help from you I could derive, Or see you blest; the hymeneal pomp, The bride, the genial couch, for you adorn, And in these hands the kindled torch sustain. How wretched am I through my own perverseness! You, O my sons, I then in vain have nurtured, In vain have toiled, and, wasted with fatigue, Suffered the pregnant matron's grievous throes. On you, in my afflictions, many hopes I founded erst: that ye with pious care Would foster my old age, and on the bier Extend me after death—much envied lot Of mortals; but these pleasing anxious thoughts Are vanished now; for, losing you, a life Of bitterness and anguish shall I lead. But as for you, my sons, with those dear eyes Fated no more your mother to behold, Hence are ye hastening to a world unknown. Why do ye gaze on me with such a look Of tenderness, or wherefore smile? for these Are your last smiles. Ah wretched, wretched me! What shall I do? My resolution fails. Sparkling with joy now I their looks have seen, My friends, I can no more. To those past schemes I bid adieu, and with me from this land My children will convey. Why should I cause A twofold portion of distress to fall On my own head, that I may grieve the sire By punishing his sons? This shall not be: Such counsels I dismiss. But in my purpose What means this change? Can I prefer derision, And with impunity permit the foe To 'scape? My utmost courage I must rouse: For the suggestion of these tender thoughts Proceeds from an enervate heart. My sons, Enter the regal mansion. [Exuent SONS.] As for those Who deem that to be present were unholy While I the destined victims offer up, Let them see to it. This uplifted arm Shall never shrink. Alas! alas! my soul Commit not such a deed. Unhappy woman, Desist and spare thy children; we will live Together, they in foreign realms shall cheer Thy exile. No, by those avenging fiends Who dwell with Pluto in the realms beneath, This shall not be, nor will I ever leave My sons to be insulted by their foes. They certainly must die; since then they must, I bore and I will slay them: 'tis a deed Resolved on, nor my purpose will I change. Full well I know that now the royal bride Wears on her head the magic diadem, And in the variegated robe expires: But, hurried on by fate, I tread a path Of utter wretchedness, and them will plunge Into one yet more wretched. To my sons Fain would I say: "O stretch forth your right hands Ye children, for your mother to embrace. O dearest hands, ye lips to me most dear, Engaging features and ingenuous looks, May ye be blest, but in another world; For by the treacherous conduct of your sire Are ye bereft of all this earth bestowed. Farewell, sweet kisses—tender limbs, farewell! And fragrant breath! I never more can bear To look on you, my children." My afflictions Have conquered me; I now am well aware What crimes I venture on: but rage, the cause Of woes most grievous to the human race, Over my better reason hath prevailed.

令人震惊，即使在当时

即使是与欧里庇得斯同时代的人也发现，当时的雅典观众对这段独白和戏剧感到震惊，尽管这可能更多地源于欧里庇得斯在复述美狄亚的故事时的艺术自由——据说历史上，孩子们被科林斯人杀害，不是美狄亚的作品，该剧本身在酒神节上排名第三，该剧于公元前431年首次公演。