![]() ![]() ![]() Philip Velacott’s lucid translation is accompanied by an introduction, which discusses the literary background of Classical Athens and examines the distinction between instinctive and civilized behaviour. Electra portrays a young woman planning to avenge the brutal death of her father at the hands of her mother, while in Heracles, the hero seeks vengeance against the evil king who has caused bloodshed in his family. In Medea, a woman rejected by her lover takes hideous revenge by murdering the children they both love, and Hecabe depicts the former queen of Troy, driven mad by the prospect of her daughter’s sacrifice to Achilles. The first playwright to depict suffering without reference to the gods, Euripides (484-407 B.C.) made his characters speak in human terms and face the consequences of their actions. The four tragedies collected in this volume all focus on a central character, once powerful, brought down by betrayal, jealousy, guilt, and hatred. “Your words are gentle but my blood runs cold to think / What plots you may be nursing deep within your heart” ![]() ![]() Here is the revenge of Medea and Hecabe, and the exciting adventures of Heracles in the Underworld. Alcestis is based on a magical myth in which Death is overcome, and The Children of Heracles examines conflict between might and right, while Hippolytus deals with self-destructive integrity. His heroes are less resolute and more psychological, fraught with internal conflict. Medea is a towering figure who demonstrates Euripides unusual willingness to give voice to a womans case. Euripides further developed the tragedy, instituting the deus ex machina, a prologue with a background, and greater realism. ![]()
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