All three Greek tragedians, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, have written plays related to Oresteia, a tragic tale of the seemingly relentless misfortunes of the House of Atreus, descendants of Tantalus. What distinguishes Aeschylus’ trilogy from the others, imo, is the use of the mystic character Cassandra and the depiction of the Eumenides, both are essential to the main theme of the trilogy, namely justice, from executing vengeance to trial by […]
Read moreCategory: Classics
Greco-Roman and Eastern Classics: Mythology, Philosophy, Literature.
“Electra” by Sophocles
Quotes: “Deceit was the plotter, Lust the slayer, two dread parents of a dreadful phantom, whether it was god or mortal that did this deed.” And then think what manner of days I pass, when I see Aegisthus sitting on my father’s throne; when I look on him wearing the very robes which my father wore and pouring libations at the hearth where he killed him; and when I see […]
Read more“Orestes” by Euripides
Quotes: Sweet charm of sleep! saviour in sickness! how dear to me thy coming was! how needed! All hail, majestic power, oblivion of woe! How wise this goddess is, how earnestly invoked by every suffering soul! Dear sister, unveil thy face and cease to weep, despite our abject misery; and whensoe’er thou seest me give way to despair, be it thine to calm and soothe the terrors and distorted fancies […]
Read more“Electra” by Euripides
Quotes: Pity is not present at all in ignorance, but in wise men. And indeed it is not without penalty for the wise to have overly profound thoughts. Ah! there is no sure mark to recognize a man’s worth; for human nature hath in it an element of confusion. For I have seen ere now the son of noble sire prove himself a worthless knave, and virtuous children sprung from […]
Read more“Andromache” by Euripides
A story of how the weak (a woman, a boy and an old man) with a just cause subdued the strong (a general). Andromache, Hector’s wife, was reduced to a slave and concubine of Achilles’ son Neoptolemus, after the death of her husband and the fall of Troy. Neoptolemus’ wife Hermione desired to murder Andromache and her baby boy because of jealousy, and she enlisted her father King Menelaus as […]
Read more“Hecuba” by Euripides
Quotes: “O Argives, who have sacked my city! of my free will I die; let none lay hand on me; for bravely will I yield my neck. Leave me free, I do beseech; so slay me, that death may find me free; for to be called a slave amongst the dead fills my royal heart with shame.” O Priam, rich in store of fairest wealth, most blest of sires, and […]
Read more“The Trojan Women” by Euripides
Quotes: “Lift thy head, unhappy lady, from the ground; thy neck upraise; this is Troy no more, no longer am I queen in Ilium. Though fortune change, endure thy lot; sail with the stream, and follow fortune’s tack, steer not thy barque of life against the tide, since chance must guide thy course. Ah me! ah me! What else but tears is now my hapless lot, whose country, children, husband, […]
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