Older literary texts such as Medea from 431 BCE and Miss Julie from 1888, are viewed as educational tools in the Swedish classroom. This significance is particularly pronounced due to the heterogeneous composition of the classroom, where students exhibit different backgrounds, ethnicities, and gender identities. Therefore, it is crucial to include literature from various cultures and historical epochs to illuminate different life experiences. Hence, this essay aims to explore the didactic potential of the plays Medea (431 BCE) and Miss Julie (1888) within the framework of Swedish education in 2023. The study focuses on the main characters Julie and Medea and their application in classroom discussions, delving into topics such as sex, gender, ethnicity, and class, and exploring how these themes can be approached in discussions with high school students. The study addresses three primary research questions: how are Medea and Julie portrayed in relation to sex, ethnicity, and class? What didactic potential do Medea and Julie bring to classroom discussions? In what ways are these plays relevant in today’s classroom context? To answer these questions, this essay adopts a qualitative approach and employs a method of close reading to interpret Medea and Julie in terms of sex, ethnicity, and class. The aim is to uncover their didactic potential and contemporary relevance. The theoretical framework of this study incorporates didactic potential, gender contracts and intersectionality perspective. The findings highlight that, through the lens of critical literacy, Medea, and Julie, enrich and support students’ educational processes and knowledge development.