The theme of overpowering passion is intricately connected to the theme of revenge in Euripides' thought-provoking play. The ancient Greeks viewed passion as perilous, a sentiment echoed by the chorus in the song that follows Medea’s scornful refusal of Jason's monetary offer. The chorus sings that excessive love brings neither honor nor respect, whereas love in moderation leads to happiness. Medea's dilemma is rooted in her intense love for Jason, which led her to abandon her homeland, family, and even kill her brother to delay their pursuers. Her love was not measured but excessive.

When Jason withdrew his affection, Medea’s passion morphed into rage, and since hatred closely mirrors passionate love, she hated excessively as well. It's as if Medea is consumed by an overwhelming desire to punish her husband for his betrayal. The nurse hints that Medea incites her own fury, pushing herself to greater extremes of anger. In this self-inflicted wrath, Medea becomes deaf to the warnings of the Corinthian women's chorus, who, while sympathetic, caution her against breaking the law. However, the law holds no sway over Medea; she dismisses the chorus's warnings as futile. Medea's tragic flaw is her surrender to her own rage, a passion that entraps her better judgment and propels her into a reckless storm of anger, leading her to contemplate the murder of her own children.

From the outset, the nurse cautions that Medea should not be underestimated, warning that "she'll not stop raging until she has struck at someone." It was Medea's impulsive heart that drove her to forsake her father’s home for Jason. Yet, in her interaction with Aegeus, Medea acts with complete rationality. Despite her inner turmoil, she persuades Creon to let her stay for another day and charms Jason into delivering her gifts to Creusa. These actions complicate the question of whether Medea could have restrained her passion enough to spare her children. As is typical of Euripides, he leaves this question unresolved.

Euripides crafted the narrative of the children's murder—in other versions of the myth, they are either accidentally killed or not involved at all. His invention pushes Medea's quest for vengeance beyond the limits of normalcy, highlighting the destructive passion that dominates her heart.