Euripides,

The first three plays in this volume are typical of Euripides, filled with violence or its threat, while the fourth, Cyclops, is a satyr play, full of crude and slapstick humour. Alcestis shows various reactions to death with pathos and grim humour while the blood-soaked Heracles portrays deep emotional pain and undeserved suffering. Children of Heracles deals with the effects of war on refugees and the consequences of sheltering them.

Heracles and Other Plays

Euripides

The dramas Euripides wrote toward the end of his life are remarkable for their stylistic innovation and adventurous plots. Heracles stands apart in its stark portrayal of human suffering and the deceptive power of the gods. In contrast, the satyr play Cyclops celebrates drink, sex, and self-indulgent hedonism. In the plays in this collection, which also includes Iphigenia Among the Taurians, Ion, and Helen, Euripides exploits the comic potential to be found in traditional myth. While weaving plots full of startling shifts of tone, deception, and illusion as well as comedy, Euripides always reminds us how quickly fortunes can be reversed and invites his audience to view the world with skepticism and compassion.

Heracles and Other Plays

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