Glorification of Alcestis

Alcestis is an Athenian tragedy written by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. Alcestis is the central character of this play. In ancient Greece, it was not possible to highlight a female character in plays. However, Euripides dared to glorify a female figure instead of a male character.

Alcestis plays the most important role in this play. She is the heroine and main character around whom the whole story takes place. This play is about an admirable marriage. She has been glorified. Alcestis’ self-sacrifice makes her an ideal wife. Alcestis represents an image of the women’s life. Euripides also represents an image of the woman of his society. As Admetus is in trouble, so it is Alcestis’ duty to get rid of the trouble from her husband’s life. It gives us a glimpse of the society where it is believed that a man’s life is more valuable than a woman’s. However, that does not take away any glory from Alcestis because the father of Admetus did not have the courage to die in his place. It shows that Alcestis was a brave woman and braver than a man.

Euripides has dealt with love, devotion, passion, and sacrifice of a woman. Alcestis is a young lady and she has chance to lead her life happily. Since she loves her husband, she cannot imagine a life without her beloved husband. For this reason, she has become ready to die in place of her husband. No one was ready to offer himself in Admetus’ place. But it is Alcestis who recruits herself to die for her husband. It shows her love and devotion towards her husband. For this reason, she has been glorified by everyone including Chorus, servant, Admetus and Pheres, the father of Admetus.

Two choruses of men enter the scene. The first chorus observes that the palace seems very quiet. The second chorus wonders why none of the king’s relatives is around to tell them whether the queen, Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, is dead and they should mourn for her death or she is still alive. They go on to say that everyone believes “She is the noblest wife a man ever had.”

Because they hear or see no activity signaling the preparation of funeral rites, the choristers think she must be alive. In order to support this view, the first chorus said if she were dead then the palace did not remain silent. The second chorus said that she must have died by now. However, the first chorus said that at least her dead body was not carried out to burial. Though the second chorus questioned over this matter, the first chorus said why it is not possible. He said that for Admetus it is not possible to bury his “true and noble wife” secretly without calling friends to mourn for her death.

A female maid servant comes from the palace weeping. Looking at her, chorus asked whether Alcestis is alive or dead. She tells the men that Alcestis is on the verge of death, “both living and dead”. The palace has already prepared for her funeral. The chorus leader tells the servant, “Let her be sure of this: her death will make her famous as the most noble of all women in the wide earth.”

The servant said that truly Alcestis is the noblest woman and no one can question about this. According to the servant, she is the perfect example of an ideal wife and no one can surpass her. By dying for Admetus, she proved that she honors her husband. When Alcestis became aware that the day of her death had arrived, she bathed herself, put on fine attire, and prayed to the earth goddess that she would watch over her orphaned son and daughter and when they are older marry them to noble spouses.

Admetus also glorified his wife saying “your love demands my worship”. Because of his wife, he could escape death. Alcestis agreed to die in his place. A woman can take such kind of decision if she truly loves her husband. Later, Admetus admitted that it is impossible to live without his wife.

Admetus told his inability to bring Alcestis back from the mouth of death. He said if he could sing like Orpheus then he would go down to the underworld and pleased Pluto and his wife Persephone with his voice and brought her back living to the light of day and neither Cerberus nor even Charon’s ferry which is loaded with the souls of dead men could stop him. He also said that when the time will come for him to die, he will leave order to bury his body in her coffin. In the Underworld, they will once again be together. He said,

“I will not, even in death, be parted from you, who alone are true to me.”

Pheres, the father of Admetus, praises Alcestis as a noble and modest wife. He goes on to say that her courageous and noble sacrifice has given new dignity of life to “the whole female sex”.

Her devotion and sacrifice towards her husband glorified her. She has been praised by all characters of this play.