Translated by John Davie.
'Medea', in which a spurned woman takes revenge upon her lover by killing her children, is one of the most shocking of all the Greek tragedies. Dominating the play is Medea herself, a towering figure who demonstrates Euripides' unusual willingness to give voice to a woman's case.
'Alcestis', a tragicomedy, is based on a magical myth in which death is overcome, and 'The Children of Heracles' examines conflict between might and right, while 'Hippolytus' deals with self-destructive integrity and moral dilemmas.
These plays show Euripides transforming awesome figures of Greek myths into recognizable, fallible human beings.
