Medea and Other Plays

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.

Medea is a towering figure who demonstrates Euripides unusual willingness to give voice to a woman’s case. Alcestis 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. These plays show Euripides transforming awesome figures of Greek myths into recognizable, fallible human beings.

John Davie’s accessible prose translation is accompanied by a general introduction and individual prefaces to each play.