In January of 1675, Thesee was presented before the King, and in April of the same year, given in Paris. It was a very popular opera, and remained in the l'Academie royale de musique repertoire for one hundred years. It was selected to represent the work of Lully in 1779 in a survey of French operatic styles. It marks a turning point in the operas of Lully and Quinault. The ideal for French tragedy is the unification of action and dramatic tension. With Thesee, Lully and Quinault removed all extraneous elements from the operas, especially those elements which detracted from such dramatic unity, such as comedy or unnecessary spectacle.

The unifying force in this opera is the character of Medee. She is both a spurned lover and a fearsome sorceress. French tradition at the time insisted that its operas be named after its principal heroes, so this opera is named after the victorious warrior Thesee. But the central figure is that of Medee. In mythology, she is only horrifying, but Quinault's poetic sensitivity turns her into an almost sympathetic tragic anti- heroine. As a magician, she is the author of spectacular scenes; metamorphoses, apparitions, transformations, and incredible images. The spectacular aspects of the opera are unified through her. As a spurned lover, her jealous hatred invokes terror in her victim, and violent passions propel the opera to its grand conclusion.

The person of Medee was the inspiration for such writers as Euripedes, Ovid, Seneque, and Corneille. Quinault's sensibilities find in her a sympathetic angle and creates a complex character. This is in part in response to the kind of verse that Quinault wrote for his libretti. Lully writes beautiful airs to set this verse, and flexible, dramatic, extended recitatives for Medee. Many of the scenes are centered around her, and the entire third act is given over to her fury.Act II opens with an air for Medee that describes the poetic tension of her character. In Act III, her angry recitatives are countered and contrasted with the lovely airs of Aegle.

Even though the dramatic action is all important in this opera, there is still much spectacle. But the spectacle is central to the main action of the play. In the first act, after a brilliant battle scene composed as a tableau for orchestra and choir, Thesee's victory in the siege of Athens is celebrated in grand pomp and classical splendor. In the third act, Medee's fury is demonstrated with many magical happenings, and in Act IV she transports Thesee to an enchanted isle where the inhabitants sing and dance and entertain him. In the final act, Medee destroys her palace in an attempt to interrupt the nuptials of Thesee and Aegle, but Minerve makes it magically reappear.

All of Lully's operas contain a prologue that reflects the court of Versaille. The prologue to Thesee is rich artistically. The verse of Quinault qualifies as high literature, and the airs are singularly beautiful. The poem was written by Quinault after a speech that he had extemporized in front of the King. King Louis XIV had returned victorious from Flanders. Extemporized speeches were not usual, but Quinault was a particularly talented orator. The theme is the King's brilliance in battle and his heroism. The sets for the prologue were done by Vigarani, and are preserved in the museum of Stockholm. They depict the palace of Versailles at the time. The characters of the prologue are Venus, Mars, the Pleasures, and they all honor Louis XIV.

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