In the play Alcestis by Euripides, at first, the character Admetus seems disturbing. Admetus was the husband of Alcestis and the king of Thessaly. How is anyone supposed to take a man who first makes the rounds of his loved ones to as them each in turn to die in his places and accepts his wife's death for his own and at the last minute asks her not to become angry with him seriously? Why is Admetus rewarded by having his wife restored to him? He seems guilty of cowardice in the face of death, betraying all his promises to his wife, and disowning his own parents and blaming them for the death of Alcestis. But towards the end of the play Admetus turns himself around when his wife is surprisingly restored to him.
In the play, Alcestis is presented as a young wife and mother who clearly valued her life, who found it rewarding, and who wanted to see her children grow up, marry and have children of their own.
After Alcestis" death, Admetus" personality and inner self is shown to the readers. I saw him most clearly when he was denying everything that makes him himself. He promised Alcestis that he would give up parties, music and whatever else he would normally do. Admetus also ordered that there would be a living shrine to his wife such as a statue that would come alive in his dreams.
In the scene with Hercules, Admetus finally begins to play a central role in his life. He breaks the first promise to Alcestis and invited Hercules to be his guest and almost forces him to stay in his house. Admetus does not even acknowledge the death of his wife. Even when Hercules asked what was wrong, Admetus lied and said that a stranger had passed away. As I was reading this part of the play I became angry with Admetus. How can someone disrespect their own wife's death and to their own best friend? He was keeping his wife alive in Hercules" mind by not telling him.
Finally when Hercules learns of Alcestis" death he knows he has to saver her, not only for Admetus" sake but also for the true bravery that Alcestis showed.
Alcestis is a drama that pulls at the heart of the reader throughout. ... parents refuse to give their life for their son, Alcestis (Admetus? ... Alcestis claims that life would be too terrible to live without her husband. ... The citizens are all sad, for Alcestis is a well loved queen. ... Admetus is steeped in sorrow after Alcestis? ...
Alcestis, the Queen and tragic figure of Euripides" Alcestis, is not an exception to all those people who refuse to keep living in order to let her husband (the king of Thessalia) live. ... (Euripides, 16) These lines exemplify how important is Alcestis for Admateus. ... Contrastingly, Alcestis's decision seemed to be grounded on reality. ... He asserts that: The main focus of the "death of Alcestis" scene is on the revival of the theme of charis: Admateus owes his life not only to Alcestis" considerably greater favor the King has done him but also to Alcestis" considerably greater favo...
THE DIFFERENTIATION OF TRAGIC HEROES: AN ESSAY IN COMPARISON OF HEROIC CODES There are many types of heroes, all of whom can be slotted neatly into categories by their respective characteristics. Typically, a tragic hero follows a code that relegates him to pursue justice, be arrogant in mann...
Additionally, he completed the twelve labors of Hercules, which included the capture of Cerberus (the three headed dog and guardian of the underworld) with his bare hands. (1c) Later, he subdued Antaeus (a giant who shingled his house with the skulls of his victims) to free a road; he defeated Achelous to win his wife; he conquered death to rescue Alcestis. ...
There are so many various types of myths originating from all over the world. These incredible myths would tell of marvelous stories of heroes, gods, demigods, monsters, etc. Various areas of the world had there own stories to tell with myths coming from Greece, Rome, and so many other places. Thoug...
The play Medea, by Euripides begins as any good play of substance does, opening in a heightened sense of turmoil and conflict. The story opens with the wailing sounds of a woman crying; a desperate woman at the end of her pitiful rope weeping over her broken heart; a heart that was destroyed b...
Of the more than 90 plays credited to Euripides, 18 survive: Alcestis, Andromache, the Bacchae, the Cyclops, Electra, Hecuba, Helen, the Heracleidae, Heracles, Hippolytus, Ion, Iphigenia at Aulis, Iphigenia in Tauris, Medea, Orestes, the Phoenissae, Rhesus and the Trojan Women. ...