Andromache by Euripides
"Andromache" is a tragic play by Euripides that explores themes of love, jealousy, and the consequences of war. Set in the aftermath of the Trojan War, the story follows Andromache, widow of Hector, who becomes a concubine and slave to Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles. As she bears him a son, Molossus, tension arises with Hermione, Neoptolemus's jealous wife, leading Andromache to seek refuge at the temple of Thetis. The play unfolds with Hermione's threats and the arrival of Menelaus, who demands Andromache's life in exchange for her son's safety.
As conflicts escalate, the aged Peleus intervenes, denouncing Menelaus's actions and protecting Andromache and her child. The narrative takes a dark turn when Orestes, driven by love for Hermione, ultimately murders Neoptolemus, leading to tragic consequences for all involved. The play concludes with Thetis's divine intervention, suggesting a new path for Andromache and her son, while addressing the themes of legacy and the ongoing impact of the past. "Andromache" provides a poignant examination of the struggles faced by women in a patriarchal society, framed within the context of myth and fate.
Andromache by Euripides
First produced: ca. 426 BCE (English translation, 1782)
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Tragedy
Time of plot: About a decade after the Trojan War
Locale: The temple of Thetis in Thessaly
Principal Characters
Andromache , Hector’s widow and slave to NeoptolemusHermione , the wife of Neoptolemus and daughter of MenelausMenelaus , the king of SpartaPeleus , Neoptolemus’s grandfatherMolossus , the son of Andromache and NeoptolemusOrestes , Agamemnon’s sonThetis , a goddess and the dead wife of PeleusChorus of Pythian Maidens ,
The Story
After the death of Hector and the fall of Troy, Andromache is given as a special prize to Neoptolemus, son of Achilles. As his slave and concubine, she bears a son, Molossus, thereby arousing the jealous wrath of Hermione, Neoptolemus’s barren wife. Fearing Hermione’s hatred and sensing her doom, Andromache seeks sanctuary in the sacred grounds of the temple of Thetis, after secretly sending her son to a neighbor for safekeeping.
Hermione appears at the temple and accuses Andromache of seeking to oust her, taunting her for bearing a son to Hector’s slayer, and threatening her with death. Andromache protests that as an aging woman and a helpless slave she would be mad to compete with Hermione and that she herself gracefully accepted Hector’s illegitimate children rather than let herself be corrupted by jealousy. Hermione, unmoved by these arguments, leaves the temple, promising to find the bait that would lure Andromache from her sanctuary.
Hermione is true to her word, for soon afterward Menelaus arrives, leading Molossus by the hand. The Spartan king warns Andromache that he will kill the boy on the spot if she does not emerge and offer up her own life instead. Andromache argues with him, pointing out that murder will surely pollute his reputation and that Neoptolemus will never condone the death of his only son. Menelaus is adamant, however, and Andromache emerges from the sanctuary to learn that both she and her son are marked for slaughter. Before the order for execution can be carried out, the aged Peleus appears and, in response to Andromache’s supplication, commands that her bonds be loosened. Peleus, furious with Menelaus, denounces Spartan cowardice and treachery; he orders the king to leave Thessaly at once and to take his barren daughter with him. Menelaus, however, announces that he is leaving with his army only in order to vanquish a city hostile to Sparta, after which he will return to confront Neoptolemus himself and settle the matter of his daughter’s status in Thessaly.
After everyone leaves the temple, a distraught Hermione enters carrying a sword with which she intends to commit suicide. When her nurse wrests the sword from her, Hermione, in great anguish, laments the horrible deed she plotted and speaks of her fear that Neoptolemus will banish her. Suddenly Orestes appears, claiming that he is merely passing through on his way to the oracle at Dodona. Hermione throws herself at his feet. Orestes was once betrothed to Hermione and always loved her, and he now reveals that he comes to carry her off and is prepared to murder her husband, even if the deed involves sacrilegious treachery. Hermione’s taunts at Andromache ironically are now turned upon herself.
After the desperate pair flees, Peleus appears, but before he can question the chorus about the fearful rumors he hears, a messenger brings the sad news that his grandson, Neoptolemus, is dead; he was murdered and mutilated by Orestes and his brigands while praying to the gods in the temple of Phoebus. Neoptolemus’s body is then carried in on a bier. The bereaved old Peleus laments the end of his line now that the only son of his only son is dead. Throwing his scepter on the ground, the grieving king resolves to grovel in the dust until his death. At that moment the dim form of the divine Thetis, the goddess who was once his wife, appears, hovering in midair. She commands her husband to cease his mourning and take the body of Neoptolemus to be buried at the Pythian altar as a reproach to the Spartans. She further commands that he take Andromache and Neoptolemus’s son to Helenus, whom Andromache will marry so that the line of Peleus can continue. After this mission, Peleus himself will be converted into a god and live with Thetis in the halls of Nereus forever. Peleus consents, moralizing that every prudent man should take heed to marry a wife of noble stock and give his daughter to a good husband.
Bibliography
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