Euripedes’ epic Greek tragedy “Medea” is downright terrifying and brutal. The ill-fated Medea, a princess of Colchis, takes revenge upon her husband Jason for cheating on her by killing the people around him, including their children, one by one.

The tale of Medea’s cold-hearted retaliation was told recently through changgeuk, a Korean traditional opera which is performed like a play in pansori (Korean folk narrative) style.

The changgeuk version, which explores Medea’s side of the story depicts Medea as someone who is not innately wicked. It puts the blame on her surroundings and Jason’s action, leaving viewers feeling strangely elated and somewhat sympathetic to her actions. 

The National Changgeuk Company of Korea staged “Medea” in changgeuk from Oct. 1-5, as the opener of its 2014-15 season repertoire. It was a hit, as it was when it premiered last year. The changgeuk “Medea” received accolades from critics and audiences alike, including the comments that “it poses a threat to opera” and “opens up new potential for changgeuk.”

Under the direction of playwright Han A-reum and director Seo Jae-hyung, the changgeuk version focuses on Medea’s extreme grudge and unresolved resentment, which in Korean literature is generally called “han.” Han, a concept for which there is no precise English equivalent, is loosely translated as “strong resentment, lamentations and yearning for revenge.” It is the feeling of “sorrow and anger that grows from the accumulated experience of oppression,” according to Korean-American scholar Elaine Kim.

In terms of singing style, changgeuk’s unique vocal timbre and trembling emotion fits well with the Greek tragedy’s melodramatic plot. The background music from an orchestra consisting of Korean traditional instruments, including gayageum and various percussion instruments, intensifies Medea’s feeling of han towards Jason.

The play opens with Medea in a crimson dress weeping while a children’s nurse recounts Medea’s days as a princess of Colchis and how she fell in love with Jason, betrayed her country and fled with him and the Golden Fleece, the legendary treasure of Colchis. After this, Medea’s brother was killed by Jason and her father took his own life.

The play moves back and forth between the present and the past, but the transition is smooth and logical, answering the overarching question of the play: Why did Medea become wicked and commit such horrible murders?

The answer is given in the end. “My nature is raised in pain, I am just an ordinary woman,” says Medea after killing Creusa, the princess of Corinth who Jason had promised to marry, and then her children.

Yet in all this, Medea does not ask for understanding or seek justification of her action, as she knows that “understanding is the wisest misunderstanding and misunderstanding is the most naked understanding.”

The minimalistic stage, which looks like an open box, is very effective as it changes color through different lighting as the story unfolds.

“Medea’s character is very colorful,” commented a college student after the show. “Her facial expressions and singing tone are totally different when she faces Jason, her sons, her brother and the king. I think that is what makes her character very authentic.”

NCCK began the season with “Medea” and will continue with other changgeuk performances, including the well-known Korean love story and folktale “Chunhyangjeon” under the direction of Andrei Servan, a Romanian-born American stage director, in November. Visit www.ntok.go.kr for more information.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)