The chorus, which consists of fifteen old men of Pherae, enters the orchestra and divides into two semi-choruses. Confused by the silence and the absence of groans and cries, the men ask each other whether Alcestis, “the best of wives to her husband,” is dead or still alive. They know this is the fated day, but they secretly hope for some miracle or any kind of good news. Noticing a maidservant stepping out of the palace, they realize that they are about to find out. First Episode In some editions of the theatrical play, Medea would be played as a man instead of a woman to show a unique and perhaps more culturally accepted point of view. Kovacs, David, ed. and trans. Euripides: Cyclops, Alcestis, Medea. Loeb Classical Library 12. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001: An accurate prose translation with facing Greek text; can be viewed online through the Perseus Project. The form of the play differs from many other Greek tragedies by its simplicity. Most scenes involve only Medea and someone else. The Chorus, here representing the women of Corinth, is usually involved alongside them. The simple encounters highlight Medea's skill and determination in manipulating powerful male figures. The play is also the only Greek tragedy in which a kin-killer makes it unpunished to the end of the play, and the only one about child-killing in which the deed is performed in cold blood as opposed to in a state of temporary madness. [11] Medea's "rebellion" is that which shakes the very world everyone must inhabit…her rebellion tells of her past history, the goddess-like figure denigrated and ultimately dethroned gives lead to why she would act the way she does. [12] Euripides displays Medea as an archetype. As a result, he reinforces the modern stereotype as a woman to be the devourer of men and children, instead of Medea- The great mother wronged. [12]

At the conclusion of the Chorus’s song, Heracles arrives at the palace. He explains to the Chorus that he is on his way to Thrace to steal the mares of Diomedes (one of the famous Twelve Labors assigned to him by Eurystheus). Admetus greets Heracles warmly and insists that he stay with him as a guest. Not wanting to trouble the great hero, Admetus conceals Alcestis’ death from Heracles, despite the Chorus’s misgivings. February 2017: the play was staged in South Korea, directed by Hungarian theatre director Róbert Alföldi, with Lee Hye-young in the titular role. [46]Dunning, Jennifer (31 August 1986). "KABUKI AND NOH FLAVOR A 'MEDEA' IN CENTRAL PARK". The New York Times . Retrieved 1 June 2018. Gounaridou, Kiki. Euripides and Alcestis: Speculations, Simulations, and Stories of Love in the Athenian Culture. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1998. a b See (e.g.) Rabinowitz (1993), pp.125–54; McDonald (1997), p.307; Mastronarde (2002), pp.26–8; Griffiths (2006), pp.74–5; Mitchell-Boyask (2008), p.xx Little is known about Euripides’ personal life; most ancient testimonia and biographies read more like fable than fact. Euripides seems to have been born on Salamis, an island near Athens, to a family of hereditary priests. He was married twice, both times unhappily, and had three sons. Ancient sources claimed that Euripides was a recluse and may have even lived alone in a cave in Salamis, though the veracity of such stories is obviously dubious. He died in 406 BCE at the court of the Macedonian king Archelaus. Manifold are thy shapings, Providence! / Many a hopeless matter gods arrange / What we expected never came to pass / What we did not expect the gods brought to bear / So have things gone, this whole experience through!

The plot of Doctor Foster is actually 2,500 years old, reveals writer Mike Bartlett". Radio Times . Retrieved 4 November 2019.

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As Heracles leaves, Admetus and the Chorus return to the palace, lamenting not only the death of Alcestis but also the fate of the king, whose pain is so unbearable that he craves for death. “Why did you keep me from throwing myself into the open grave and lying there dead with her, the best of women?” Admetus asks the Chorus weepingly. The play also explores the themes of human virtue and piety. From the very first lines, Admetus is introduced as a righteous man; indeed, it is because of this righteousness that Apollo grants him the chance to escape death. Admetus is certainly preoccupied with his reputation for generosity and kindness, as demonstrated by his insistence on showing hospitality to Heracles even while he is mourning his wife. Catulle Mendès adapted Medea into his play Medée in 1898, in three acts and in verse. Alfons Mucha drew a poster for a performance of this play starring Sarah Bernhardt. Finally, if it is a form in between these two, could Euripides be doing here something akin to Shakespeare in his romances, painting, on the surface, a magical world in which virtue is bound to be rewarded even against the rules of the physical world, while simultaneously questioning the nature of our real-world happiness through the very fact that the play is modeled as a fairytale? Chances are, we’ll never find out. But that shouldn’t stop us from pondering these questions: it is a worthy endeavor in itself. Alcestis Sources