While many other Greek tragedies tend to reiterate already established myths and customs, Euripides's Orestes appears to be entirely his own invention. Chronologically, the plot of the play takes place after the events contained in Aeschylus's Libation Bearers. It was first performed in 408 BC, near the close of the Peloponnesian War. In Orestes, Electra recounts the story … Continue reading The Failure of Orestes
Great Books Project
Notes on the Enuma Elish
The Enuma Elish, or "when on high", is named for the opening lines of the poem. It is a fragmented Akkadian poem that borrows from a number of earlier cosmogonies from the Sumerians and Semitic cultures. The Akkadian version, discovered in the ruins of ancient Babylon, exists on seven tablets and has sometimes been called the … Continue reading Notes on the Enuma Elish
Thoughts on The Suppliants
Not to be confused with Aeschylus's The Suppliants, a story of the founding of Argos, Euripides's The Suppliants (or also called The Suppliant Women) tells the story of the grieving women of Argos. Their sons have died in battle against Creon of Thebes, but he has denied their proper burial rights leaving their bodies to rot in the … Continue reading Thoughts on The Suppliants
The Age of Innocence on Trial
The title of Edith Wharton's most famous and Pulitzer Prize winning novel is most likely derived from a famous painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds. The painting was created sometime between 1785-1788 (see below). Sir Reynolds did not actually title the painting, as the name was given to the work after his death. The painting was … Continue reading The Age of Innocence on Trial
Notes on the Origins of the Epic of Gilgamesh
Pieces of the Gilgamesh story have been found all over Mesopotamia (a word coming from the Greek for "land between rivers" in reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers). According to Sumerian myth, Gilgamesh may have been the fifth king to rule after the great deluge, a flood narrative strikingly similar to the Biblical story … Continue reading Notes on the Origins of the Epic of Gilgamesh
Brief Notes on the Rhesus
The Rhesus is a highly disputed tragedy that is commonly attributed to Euripides. It is a short play, though not altogether a tragedy in the classic sense of the word. Unlike many other Greek tragedies, Rhesus takes place during the Homeric canon, during the events of Book X of the Iliad. The plot encompasses the events of a … Continue reading Brief Notes on the Rhesus
Euripides and the Gods: Ion
Ion is an odd play for a Euripidian tragedy. Unlike many of his other works, Ion prominently features the gods, including a closing scene in which Athena resolves the impending conflict of the play. Apollo, though silent throughout the play, is portrayed in an unflattering light, while Athena is cast as all-knowing, not unlike the Athena … Continue reading Euripides and the Gods: Ion
Brief Thoughts on The Trojan Women
Known in Latin as the Troades, Euripides's The Trojan Women was said by Aelian's Varia Historica (published in the third century A.D.) to have been performed for the first time in 415 BC at the 91st Olympiad. Ultimately, he won second place, losing to Xenocles, a now lost Athenian tragedian. The Trojan Women was part three of a group of three tragedies … Continue reading Brief Thoughts on The Trojan Women
Thoughts on Andromache
It has been suggested that Euripides is obsessed with character, but that he is indifferent to plot. Each one of his tragedies might be said to be a character study into the pure hopelessness faced by human beings. The Andromache is an unusual play for a number of reasons. The unnamed Scholiast, a latter Byzantine, reports that … Continue reading Thoughts on Andromache
What Is Tragic About Greek Tragedy? Euripides’s Hecuba Considered
Euripides's Hecuba is perhaps the most bleak of the Greek tragedies. It takes place shortly after the sack of Troy by the Achaeans. The few remaining Trojans have been either killed or enslaved by the Greeks. Hecuba, Queen of Troy and wife of Priam, has been captured and enslaved by Odysseus. Like Job, the her life has had … Continue reading What Is Tragic About Greek Tragedy? Euripides’s Hecuba Considered
