Alcestis Essay Research Paper Alcestis is a — страница 3

  • Просмотров 339
  • Скачиваний 13
  • Размер файла 16
    Кб

marriage bed; I shall clasp it, and my hands shall cling to it?” (Euripides 348-349). It seems quite silly to actually create a statue of Alcestis and sleep with it each night! Furthermore, Admetus orders the entire kingdom to shear their hair and to dress in the cloaks of mourning. Another hyperbole occurs here; it is not necessary to have an entire kingdom mourn as such! According to the stage directions of L. R. Lind, Admetus “covers his head with his robe, and crouches in abject misery on the steps of his Palace” (Lind p. 244). This is an odd thing for a king to do! These elements prove that Alcestis is partially a comedy. In one aspect, this drama has the downfall and death of Alcestis and the shame of Admetus as he is displayed as the selfish creature that he truly

is. This is the tragedy of the drama, yet there is still the concept of comedy in Alcestis. Comedy is shaped by the above elements and then also by a rise of the protagonist in the drama?s termination. It thus follows that if Alcestis has the elements of comedy, then there must also be some sort of comic rise! There seems to be two comic rises. First, Admetus understands the true sacrifice that Alcestis has made. “No pain ever shall touch her again; she has reached the noble end of all her sufferings. But I, I who should have died, I have escaped my fate, only to drag out a wretched life. Only now do I perceive it” (Euripides 938-941). Although this does not seem to be a comic rise for Admetus, it is an enlightenment of sorts. Admetus has seen that he has been selfish and is

shamed by it. The final comic rise is the resurrection of Alcestis, which seems to be an almost reward for Admetus?s enlightenment. This resurrection of Alcestis is necessary in order to fulfill the definition of comedy and is thus proven through it, through the actions of Apollo, and through the motivations of Heracles. 316