Status Updates From Alcestis and Other Plays

Alcestis is a masterpiece of satire

These Greek gods. They’re not really nice people are they.

Fickle lot.

also i really enjoyed the translator’s background info; it was well articulated & insightful. the notes were also very detailed & i appreciated reading about his interpretations/why he translated certain parts in that way 🐛

ofc i loved reading about Iphigenia & Orestes! i’ve read a retelling that incorporated Iphigenia in Taurus. in particular, i like Euripides use of irony when it comes to Iphigenia’s feelings of revenge. she expresses her understanding of her father’s cruelty & him being at fault for her sacrifice, but ironically blames Helen for her woes. this is another critique of women’s roles/using them as scapegoats

—rant about his marriage bed being defiled, how his son has disgraced him, etc. to him, Phaedra is merely an extension of him; an element of his property & reputation. it’s also ironic, considering that Euripides chooses to frame Hippolytus’s conception as nonconsensual here, making Theseus a bit of a hypocrite too.

Hippolytus continued several of Euripides’s themes from Alcestis; critique of divine punishment, analyzation of women’s roles/family dynamics, discussion of necessity. new elements were introduced too: prevalence of chance, who deserves to be pardoned. similar to Admetus, Theseus only views the alleged crimes against Phaedra to really impact him. sure, he says how sorry he is for her, but quickly moves on to—

didn’t get to finish Hippolytus today as i’d hoped; but i can still pick up on Euripides’s favorite themes; critique of religion, analyzation of gender roles, discussion of necessity 🐛

most of the play is about Admetus ranting about how sad his life is; how pitiful it is that his wife’s dead rather than honoring her sacrifice for him to enjoy life. her feelings or motivations are never actually considered, he only thinks of her as an extension of him. it’s notable that Euripides chose to have Alcestis not speak after her resurrection. 🐛

central themes ~
Alcestis: the central role of women at the time; marriage. women’s life mattering less than men’s; her life for his was accepted as just. Euripides analyzes this
Hippolytus: who deserves to be pardoned? why are men’s actions more often excused & justified than women’s?
Iphigenia in Tauris: how religion treats women, the sanctity of family relations, what sacrifice & war mean for women

it was interesting to read more about Euripides’s background; i didn’t realize he was so criticized in a notorious way. he wasn’t what i’d call a feminist, but he did encourage people to evaluate their biases/acceptance of patriarchal norms through his work; which was rather progressive for the time. i’ve enjoyed what i’ve read of Orestes & i’m familiar w/ his plays so i’m excited to delve into this!