- The Tutor enters with the boys and tells Medea the good news: the princess has agreed to let the boys stay in Corinth.
- Medea emits a wail of pain.
- The Tutor doesn't get what she's so sad about; he thought he was bringing good news.
- Medea tells him not to worry about it.
- She hugs the boys close to her and laments the fact that she won't see them grow up.
- Suddenly, Medea has a change of heart, telling the Chorus that she'll take the boys away with her instead of killing them.
- She changes her minds again, saying they must die.
- Medea goes back and forth a couple more times and finally decides that murdering her sons is necessary.
- She says that she knows she's doing evil, but that her passionate desire for revenge is stronger than her will.
Fifth Choral Ode
- The Chorus sings about the perils of parenthood.
- They talk about how wearying it is raising a child and how people without offspring are happier overall.
- They end by recognizing how terrible it is when a full grown child dies and question whether the joys of parenting are worth the potential for grief.