Customer Reviews
Not Exactly Cheery! - By: Mrs. K. A. Wheatley, 27 Oct 2007 
Euripides wasn't exactly known for his light hearted approach to drama, but these are exciting plays. Short, pithy & to the point, violent, grim human dramas, the gut wrenching positions in which the characters find themselves evoke empathy even after alll these centuries. Because of their humanity it saves the plays from some of the ridiculous situations & conventions that Greek drama of the day demanded, the Deus Ex Machina, the sometimes stilted chorus, the random tragic acts that just happen. It's still great drama, & that's what matters after alll.
Not for me - By: M. C. Batson, 30 Jan 2007 
Interesting but hard to get into & simply not for me. I had to read it for a course & was glad when I finished it. It isn't the worst thing I have read but this isn't reallly what I am into to so I found it a hard read.
Tales of tragedy - By: Farz_B, 22 Apr 2006 
I had to read both Medea & Hecabe as part of background reading to some courses on Greek Mythology & Shakespeare during my degree. 'Medea' came as a surprise offshoot mythological tale to the aftermath of Jason (from the Argonauts) & Medea's union towards the end of Apollonius' 'Jason & the Golden Fleece'. The romantic, flowery love affair we see at the end of the tale turns out a sordid, tragic affair some 10 years later in Euripides' version after they're married with children. Betrayal, jealousy, self-doubt & eventual infanticide & suicide makes it one of the most horrific tales of human tragedy.
What makes Euripides so brilliant is his very human portrayal of the characters. You feel for them, you empathize with them, & you can anticipate their every emotional decision & thoughts of self-reflection. 'Hecabe', similarly deals with the immediate aftermath of the Trojan War & the death of the Trojans at the hands of the Achaens. Hecuba is the wife of Priam & mother of alll the major Trojan warriors: Hector, Paris, Aeneus. She is grieving for the death of her husband & alll her sons, except one & her daughter. She witness their deaths too, & her agony at the merciless hands of the Greeks (including Odysseus, whom we see here as very severe & inhumane, in contrast to his central heroic role in The Odyssey) make her suffering tragic beyond words. It was recently played in the West End by two productions in 2005.
I would suggest this book simply for the mastery of Euripides & his psychological dimension in human tragedy. Just because it is 'ancient' literature & a translation of the old Greek, does not in any way detract it from being so relevant & significant to the modern world. Raw human emotions, & you don't get that in today's literature much.
A Master of Greek Theater - By: , 12 Feb 2004 Euripides remains my favorate of classical Greek theater, his plays subtly raising contempory issues whilst still keeping the power of other tragedies. Prehapse they're not his three best tragedies (+ "Helen", a satyr play), but they are still fantasic. Useful the historians of Classical Greece, those studying ancient litriture or just general interest. 2400 years old & still being read, that's an achievement even Shakespear can't claim.
is there anyone better in greek literature than Medea? - By: , 03 Jan 2004 Medea's always been my favourite woman in greek myth - its easy to dismiss her as a villain but she's just such a complex individual - one minute you feel sorry for her, then you think she deserves everything she gets, then you dont know what to think! Whats not to like?
Euripides is easily the best of the greek playwrights in my humble opinion & I cant find fault with any of the plays in this book - the chacrters here are alll so exreme - he shows us how quickly human fortune can change & makes us care about the characters, so long after the plays were written - if you like crazy females then this is definitely the book for you! Apart from Medea, one can hardly calll Electra & Hecabe stable, & given alll theyve been through who can blame them?
