The Phoenician Maidens by Euripides

There is a great deal of overlap in the stories told by the Greek playwrights, so most of the characters in this play have been met before.  The play should have perhaps been named the unending grief of Oedipus.  The Phoenician maidens only serve as the chorus in the play and are not really party to the action.

After Oedipus learned that his wife Jocasta was actually his mother, he gouged out his own eyes.  He lives in blindness in isolated quarters in the castle, and the land of Thebes is ruled by his son Eteocles.  An agreement was made that Eteocles and his brother Polynices would share the throne by ruling alternate years.  Eteocles, however, has refused to surrender the throne to Polynices at the end of his year and has forced Polynices into exile.

Polynices went to a neighboring country and married well.  He has now returned to Thebes with an army, intending to take by force what was promised to him.  Jocasta, mother of the two boys, sees it as her role to try to bring about an agreement.  Both sons agree to a temporary truce in order to discuss what is to happen.  Polynices is determined to have his turn at ruling, which seems perfectly fair since it was promised.  Eteocles is absolutely defiant.  He has tasted power, and he is not about to give it up.  Shall I become his slave, when I can be his master?  He also makes accusations against Polynices for the affront of coming against his own native city with an army.

Jocasta does her best to mediate.  Art thou so set on ambition, that worst of deities?  Better far, my son, prize equality that ever linketh friend to friend…and allies to each other; for equality is man’s natural law.  Her efforts are to no avail.

Meanwhile, Creon, brother of Jocasta, has sought the counsel of the prophet Teiresias, who says that the only hope for the city is if Creon sacrifices his son Menoeceus.  Creon intends to send Menoeceus away before someone overhears this and demands his life.  Menoeceus agrees to run away, but never intends to do so.  His plan is to sacrifice himself to the gods to save the city.  He follows through with this to Creon’s grief.

Polynices attacks the city gates with his army.  Eteocles has stationed men at each gate and they repel the army of Polynices even though it is larger.  Both sons survive this initial onslaught.  They then agree to avoid further bloodshed by meeting in individual combat.  One of them must die.

Jocasta calls Antigone, her daughter, to go with her to try and stop the duel between her sons, but she arrives too late.  They are both dead.  Jocasta grabs one of the swords and kills herself.

 

The bodies of Eteocles, Polynices and Jocasta are brought into the palace.  Creon now declares that Oedipus will be banished to remove the curse from Thebes and that Eteocles will be given proper burial, but Polynices will be thrown outside the city for the dogs and birds.  Antigone swears that she will bury her brother Polynices.  Creon declares she will be killed if she does, and that she must on the next day marry his son Haemon.  Antigone declares that if forced to do so, she will murder Haemon on the wedding night.  She plans to leave the city with her father Oedipus and help him in his blindness and exile.  Oedipus and Antigone leave as Oedipus declares, Weak mortal as I am, I must endure the fate that God decrees.

Interesting quotes:

Euripides seems to need to get in at least one nasty jab toward women in all of his plays.  The Old Retainer says, Now the race of women by nature loves scandal; and if they get some slight handle for their gossip they exaggerate it, for they seem to take a pleasure in saying everything bad of one another. 

Jocasta:  This is a slave’s lot that thou describest, to refrain from uttering what one thinks.

                Stay a moment; haste never carries justice with it.

                …lay aside your violence; two men’s follies, once they meet, result in very deadly mischief.

Menoeceus:  …if each were to take and expend all the good within his power, contributing it to his country’s weal, our states would experience fewer troubles and would for the future prosper.

Hecuba by Euripides

Hecuba is the widow of King Priam, who was killed by the Trojans.  She has become a slave to the conquerors, although she was previously a queen.  At the outset of the play, she believes that although some of her children were killed in the Trojan War, she still has 3 living children:  Cassandra, who is revered as a prophetess has become the wife of Agamemnon (the conquering Trojan king), Polyxena, who is with her mother in slavery, and a son Polydore, who was sent to live with the neighboring king of Thrace in order to escape the Trojans.

Odysseus arrives with the message that the Trojans are seeking to honor their hero Achilles by sacrificing Polyxena on his grave.  Hecuba begs Odysseus to spare her daughter, reminding him that she once spared his life.  He argues that the dead must be honored, and the sacrifice must occur.  Polyxena bravely accepts her fate and goes off with Odysseus.  

Hecuba begs for, and is granted, the privilege of preparing her daughter’s body for burial.

However, she is delayed from this task by the arrival of a young maiden accompanying a covered corpse.  Hecuba thinks it must be Polyxena, but learns, to her horror, that it is her son Polydore, who she thought to be safe in Thrace.  It turns out the Polydore was sent to Thrace with a large amount of gold, and the King of Thrace, Polymestor, decides the gold is worth more than keeping his promise to protect Polydore.  He has killed Polydore and thrown his body into the sea.  It washed up on the shore and was found by the young maiden who is bringing it to Hecuba.

Agamemnon arrives to inquire what is keeping Hecuba.  She convinces him to look the other way while she seeks revenge on Polymestor.  Agamemnon doesn’t see how a woman can do this, but of course, there is strength in numbers, and Hecuba enlists the help of the other captive women.

Polymestor and his sons are invited to visit Hecuba.  She inquires about Polydore’s well-being, and Polymestor lies and says he is well.  Hecuba claims that she wants to inform him about the whereabouts of additional gold, so he goes with her into a tent without his guards.  There his sons are killed and he is blinded by the captive women.

Polymestor appeals to Agamemnon, but it doesn’t get him anywhere.  Then he prophesies the death of Agamemnon and Cassandra.  Agamemnon thinks he is a raving maniac and doesn’t believe the prediction.  The play closes with Agamemnon anxious to catch the favorable wind and sail for home, where unbeknownst to him his wife Clytemnestra will indeed kill him for several reasons….one of which is that he has brought the lovely Cassandra home to replace her.

While Polyxena is praised for the bravery with which she faces death, Euripides once again displays negative attitudes toward women.

*Agamemnon inquires, “How are women to master men?” 

Hecuba responds, “Numbers are a fearful thing and joined to craft a desperate foe.”

Agamemnon:  “True; still I have a mean opinion of the female race”

*Polymestor commenting on women:  “for neither land or sea produces a race so pestilent, as whomsoever hath had to do with them knows full well.”

Other interesting quotes:

“’Tis never right that those in power should use it out of season, or when prosperous suppose they will be always so.”  (Hecuba)

“Ah!  There is not in the world a single man free; for he is either a slave to money or to fortune, or else the people in their thousands or the fear of public prosecution prevents him from following the dictates of his heart.”  (Hecuba)

“’Tis strange how each extreme doth meet in human life!  Custom determines even our natural ties, making the most bitter foes friends, and regarding as foes those who formerly were friends.”  (the Chorus)

“For the gods confound our fortunes, tossing them to and fro, and introduce confusion, that our perplexity may make us worship them.”  (Polymestor)

As I’ve said previously, I don’t have any use for the Greek gods!  They are morally no different than humans…they just live forever, supposedly.

Andromache by Euripides

Andromache was the wife of Hector, but when Troy fell to the Spartans following Hector’s death, she was taken as a slave and mistress to Hector’s murderer, Neoptolemus.  She bore a child, Molossus to him.  Neoptolemus also took a legitimate wife, Hermione, who is the daughter of Menalaus and Helen.  Hermione is childless and blames Andromache for causing this by some strange powers.  Andromache is innocent of this charge and is in great misery as the mistress of her beloved Hector’s killer.

While Neoptolemus is away, Hermione and Menalaus conspire to kill both Andromache and her son.  Andromache hides Molossus at a friend’s house and takes refuge herself in a temple believing she will be safe there.  Hermione comes to the temple and there is quite an argument.  Later Menalaus comes and tricks Andromache into leaving.  He has found her son, but he says he will spare him, if she agrees to be killed herself.  His actual plan is to kill both of them.

Before Menalaus can carry out his intentions, Peleus, who is father of Achilles and grandfather of Neoptolemus arrives on the scene.  He believes in Andromache’s innocence and demands that Menalaus release her.  They argue.  Menalaus insults Peleus saying he is old and feeble and couldn’t possibly stand up to him in battle.  Peleus insults Menalaus, implying that he thinks of himself highly because he was a general in the Trojan War, but it was really his men who did all the work.  Menalaus finally retreats.

Hermione is now distraught.  She feels abandoned by Menalaus, and is fearful that when Neoptolemus returns he will kill her because of her plot against Andromache and Molossus, for although Molossus is a bastard, he is still Neoptolemus’ son.  She wants to kill herself and is prevented from doing so by her nurse.  About this time, Orestes arrives on the scene.  Hermione was once betrothed to him, and he still wants her.  Besides, he knows that Neoptolemus is dead.  He arranged for this by spreading false rumors about Neoptolemus while he was at a temple offering sacrifices.  Hermione runs off with Orestes.

Messengers arrive and tell Peleus that Neoptolemus, his grandson is dead.  Since his only son Achilles is also dead, he is distraught.  He says that he now has no offspring and no reason for living.  His wife Thetis, who is a goddess, appears.  She reminds him that Molossus is his offspring and promises that a line of kings will come from him.  She further promises that after he buries Neoptolemus, she will arrange for Peleus to become a god, and they will be together forever.

Euripides ideas on women permeate this work.  Some make me angry:

*’tis woman’s way to delight in present misfortunes even to keeping them always on her tongue and lips.

*though some god hath devised cures for mortals against the venom of reptiles, no man ever yet hath discovered aught to cure a woman’s venom, which is far worse than viper’s sting…

*never, never….should men of sense, who have wives, allow women-folk to visit them in their homes, for they teach them mischief…

But, some of Euripides' thoughts on male-female relationships  are wise:

*’tis not beauty, but virtuous acts that win our husband’s hearts.

*I would have a husband content with one wife whose rights he shareth with no other.

*…every prudent man will seek to marry a wife of noble stock and give his daughter to a husband good and true, never setting his heart on a worthless woman, not even though she bring a sumptuous dowry to his house.

Other interesting quotes:

*We ought not on trifling grounds to promote serious mischief.

*…wilt thou slay me, passing by the cause and hurrying to the inevitable result?

*Thinkest thou God’s hand is shortened and that thou wilt not be punished?

*One word upon your lips, another in your heart, this is what men always find with you.

*The race of old men practices no restraint; and their testiness makes it hard to check them.

(I guess old men have always been grumpy.)

*Better is it not to win a discreditable victory, than to make justice miscarry by an invidious exercise of power.

*Women ought to smooth over their sisters’ weaknesses.

Rhesus by Euripides

This is another play that is set in the Trojan War.  Hector and his troops and allies are camped outside of the walls of Troy.  They have just won a decisive victory over the Argives and have in mind to finish off the job tomorrow.  Word reaches Hector that there are fires burning all night in the camp of the invaders, and some think they may be preparing to take to their ships and sneak away under cover of darkness.  Hector sends Dolon to spy on them and determine their intent.  He does not want them to escape without inflicting further losses.  Dolon plans to sneak through the enemy camp hiding under a wolf skin.


Before Dolon returns, Rhesus and his troops arrive to help Hector.  Hector is really conflicted by this.  He has previously begged Rhesus for his help and is not pleased that Rhesus is arriving just in time to deliver the final blow.  Both Hector and Rhesus speak their minds openly.  When Rhesus reveals that he has been trying to come for years and was prevented by various battles that needed to be fought along the way, Hector gives in to the offer of his help.  The plan is to attack in the morning, so Rhesus and his men go to sleep.


Dolon never returns, because he has been captured and killed by Odysseus, who is on the Argive side.  Now Odysseus and Diomedes are sneaking around spying on the Trojans.  They kill Rhesus and steal his horses.  The charioteer of Rhesus accuses Hector of treachery since they were supposedly safely within Trojan lines.  The real treachery is from the goddess Athena who has been assisting Odysseus.


Rhesus was the son of a Muse who understands that his death would not have occurred without Athena's help.  The play ends with the Muse caring for Rhesus' burial, and Hector preparing to attack the enemies of Troy.


Interesting quotes:
Aeneas:  ...among mortals the same man is not dowered by nature with universal knowledge; each hath his special gift appointed him, thine is arms, anothers is sage counsel.  


Chorus:  Beware of what may chance; full oft doth fortune veer.  A little classier way of saying "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."


Hector:  I loathe the friend who brings his help too late.


So...the burning question which the play doesn't answer....Did some one shoot Dolon with an arrow or spear him, because they thought he was a wolf or because he was recognized as a spy?