Suppliant Women / Electra / Heracles

As a Latin Teacher for the last 33 years, I enjoy re-reading the Greek and Roman Classics periodically. I am always amazed by how relevant they are to the human condition in any age.

Greek Tragedies: Volume II

This third volume of Euripides' plays in the Harvard Univerisity Press Edition contains three of his middle plays, one on the aftermath of the fight of the seven against Thebes (Suppliant Women), one on Electras relationship to her mother Clytaimestra and one on Heracles' madness. These three plays lack a common theme or tone - the first one is a political play the latter two are new and unusual versions of the story of well-known mythical characters. The last play does not find a resolution to the tragic situation while the former two do (in a way), but the most important difference, it seems, lies in who gets killed by whom. 'Suppliant Women' is about death in war, getting killed by 'the other', 'the enemy' while the deaths in 'Electra' and 'Heracles' happen within families. I will now take a closer look on each individual play

'Suppliant Women' is a play about defining the realm of familiy, politics and theology when it comes to the burial of fallen soldiers. The play is named after its chorus, a group made up of the mothers of the seven men who fought against Thebes and who now lie unburied at its gates. In this play, Adrastus, who launched the expedition against Thebes, arrives at Athens with the mothers of the dead generals to ask its king Theseus to help him bury the seven. Theseus does not feel responsible for this in the beginning. He accuses Adrastus of being "led astray by young men who enjoy being honored and who multiply wars without justice" (p. 37) instead of being modest, listening to the seers and keeping peace. Talking to his mother who sympathises with the chorus, does, however change his mind. Before he can begin his campaign to free the dead bodies, a Theban messenger arrives, asking for the king of Athens. This leads to a discussion with Theseus about the advantages and disadvantages of democracy, as Athens is formally ruled by the people, Thebes by a king. This conversation is one of the most fascinating passages from the play as Euripides makes a strong case for the problems of democracy. His strongest argument is perhaps the following: "When a war comes to be voted on by the people, no one reckons on his own death: others, he thinks, will suffer that misfortune. If death stood before his eyes as he cast his vote, Hellas would not be perishing from spear madness" (p. 61). It is human nature, the argument goes, to be deceitful about one's own luck that makes democratic constitutions bad. Theseus' replies that wanting the dead bodies back is not a proclamation of war, as the burial is not a political but a theological action. The messenger disagrees and so a war is fought which Theseus wins. The end plays with the burial, praise speeches to the fallen and lamentations. The discussion about the right political constitution and what makes a leader a good leader makes 'Suppliant Women' a prevailing and fascinating play. It however suffers from what I think is a typical Euripidean flaw: it frazzles out in the second part by introducing another small tragedy (Evadnes' death) and many more characters (a chorus of children).

'Electra' is Euripides version of the young woman with the same name. She is the daughter of the Mycean king Agamemnon who gets killed by his wife, Clytaimestra and her lover Aegisthus, after he returns to his kingdom from the Trojan war. Enraged by this, Electra and her brother Orestes plot to kill Aegisthus and their mother for taking their fathers' life. The play revolves around the questions of loyalty between husband and wife, between parents and their children, and between siblings. Euripides choses to ask them in a different way than his predecessors did. While the key conflicts remain, he eliminates some of the tragic elements, making the play lighter and more mundane. The play is set in the country-side instead of a palace and a farmer is added as a character who reminds the audience that nobility is not co-extensive with wealth (p. 191). The plot roughly goes like this: Electra, forced by her mother to marry the farmer, laments her and her brother's exile from their father's house. Orestes, who hadn't seen her since they were children, hears her laments but does not reveal himself as her brother. Once he assured himself that she shares his desire to retaliate their fathers death by killing their mother and new lover, Orestes identity is disclosed by an old servant. Orestes and Electra embrace each other and together with the old man plan the killing of Aegistheus and Clytaimestra. Orestes successfully follows this plan. The play ends by a 'dei' ex machina - the two twin brothers of Clytaimestra arrive on scene and proclaim that Electra is to be married to Pylades and that Orestes should go to Athens where he can expect a fair trail for the murder of his mother. Euripides' 'Electra' is inhabitated by remarkably complex and psychologically interesting characters. The play to me is particularly strong in Electras speech toward Aegistheus' dead body and in her final conversation with her mother. While I don't like the ending, that seems to gloss over the tragedy of the situation and over what the sibling did, the play provides a lot of insight into the way (not only noble) familiy members hate and love each other.

Euripides play 'Heracles' demonstrates, much like Sophocles 'Aias' that power and physical strength can lead to a man's glory and to his misery.
The tragedy begins with Heracles wife, Megara, his sons and his old (human) father Amphitryon stuck as suppliants at an altar in Thebes. Heracles is preforming labours in the underworld and so an ursurper, Lyceus, has taken the opportunity to take control over Thebes. He wishes to kill Heracles sons, who could become dangerous competitors to him once they grow up. Megara sees no chance of escaping from this situation but Amphitrion remains hopeful that Heracles will return to safe his family. He is right but once the great hero returns and kills Lyceus, he is punished by some gods with a temporary madness. This leads him to confuse his children and wife with sacrificial animals and he slaughters them at the altar. Amphitryon, who would have come next in Heracles' killing spree, can wrestle his son down and tie him to a pillar, where he falls asleep. The second part of the play shows Heracles slowly coming to terms with the death of his family and his role in it. It is his old friend Theseus, who once benefitted from Heracles strenght, who prevents him from taking his own life. He argues that all lives, lives of mortals and of gods, are tainted by misfortune and it is misfortune that Heracles has suffered through his madness. Theseus offers him a new life and a new home in Athens which Heracles in the end agrees to.
The overarching question of this play concerns the responsibility Heracles holds for the death of his family. On one level, it is clearly the gods who use Heracles as an instrument who has no individual control. On this level, Heracles is to be pitied. On another level, the tragedy shows what is within human responsibility and where the great hero might have actually failed: In being absent from his family, for instance, which is shown to be problematic not only for his children and wife but also for himself. It also shows, however, how solace and closeness can be found among friends if family is not available. It is the healing of Heracles through Theseus' friendship which to me is remarkable about this play. Although Theseus solidarity for his friend serves as Athenian propaganda, his and Heracles relationship is nonetheless one of the most touching portrayals of friendship I have found in Ancient tragedy so far.

Suppliant Women and Electra are everything I wanted out of Aeschylus, while Heracles is a wonderful descent into madness. It makes me think of the ending to The Shining.

This volume has an excellent translation of Electra. It is a wonderful tragedy by Euripides, and it should evoke the catharsis that Aristotle is always raving about in his works.

Suppliant Women, in Greek

its a hard read, maybe its better as a viewed play?