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There is much wrong with this play.
The main character is despicable (as in Medea). Men are weak and ridiculous. Dialogue/text full of contradictory elements (e.g. religion receives a very unsure treatment). The plot is weak and riddled with cheap turns (e.g. Menelaos leaving his ''fake'' Helen in a cave).
This is laughable coming from a man of the calibre Euripides is.
The text itself is decent and there are several well done speeches. The writing itself is solid (Euripides is still Euripides). But the plot is completely loose and messy. Moreover, it's not credible. The most important moments hang on random chance or sheer invention, and suffer from lazy development. It feels like this is an abandoned draft rather than a play to be put on stage.
The deus ex machina stunt at the end just sums up the whole thing as a dull and an uninspired flight of fancy.
Euripides did not succeed with this one.
The main character is despicable (as in Medea). Men are weak and ridiculous. Dialogue/text full of contradictory elements (e.g. religion receives a very unsure treatment). The plot is weak and riddled with cheap turns (e.g. Menelaos leaving his ''fake'' Helen in a cave).
This is laughable coming from a man of the calibre Euripides is.
The text itself is decent and there are several well done speeches. The writing itself is solid (Euripides is still Euripides). But the plot is completely loose and messy. Moreover, it's not credible. The most important moments hang on random chance or sheer invention, and suffer from lazy development. It feels like this is an abandoned draft rather than a play to be put on stage.
The deus ex machina stunt at the end just sums up the whole thing as a dull and an uninspired flight of fancy.
Euripides did not succeed with this one.
