Much appreciated. I was looking for an answer of the underlying message or theme behind Euripides' deviation from the common version. Your video was really helpful. thank you for the effort.
Always felt a bit torn about this play. On the one hand it's refreshing to see a more active female character and Menelaus comes across as genuinely caring. But on the other hand there is the looming implication of Helen being more valuable/virtuous for not having been abducted and instead remaining chaste.
Nice video :) I have two brief questions: 1) If Aphrodite made Helen fall in love with Paris as a reward for Paris choosing Aphrodite in his judgement, how come she never fell in love with him in Euripides' version? One would expect the spell of a goddess to be more powerful than human fidelity (like the wife of Minos who couldn't help but to be attracted to the bull and concieve Minotaur). Maybe she never met Paris at all and was cast away to Egypt before she would have a chance to? 2) Do we know if women were allowed to perform in Greek theatre or their roles, including the one of Helen, were acted by men?
Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 1) I will have to check if Euripides ignores this or rationalises it away. In other plays where he rewrites myth he has the chorus dismiss the dominant version as hearsay. I'll double check and comment below. 2) Fifth century Athenian drama was largely performed by men, Helen would have been performed by a masked man. Women musicians would appear occasionally in comedies playing the aulos (double pipes) but would not play characters in tragedy. Thanks!
@@MillennialClassicist Thank you for the kind reply :) I think I may have found the solution to the first question. In the opening prologue, Helen seems to indicate that Paris indeed met only the phantom, not her (lines 29-36). So if they never met, Helen couldn't have fallen in love with him. Hera outwitted Aphrodite. What a cool play :)
It's a big debate, people often reclassify Euripides' tragedies with happy endings as Romances. But that is based on modern views of what a tragicomedy should be. Others argue that if such plays were entered as tragedies at the Dionysia, they are tragedies...albeit innovative ones. There is a Greek tradition of komoidotragoidia, but largely in the fourth century. But most believe the fourth-century playwrights were heavily influenced by Euripides 🤷♀️ Formal titles are often anachronistic and become problematic. Good question! X
Much appreciated. I was looking for an answer of the underlying message or theme behind Euripides' deviation from the common version. Your video was really helpful. thank you for the effort.
Just curious, but was the song at the end MALAGÙENA?
good job dear friend. Carry on. Best of luck
Always felt a bit torn about this play.
On the one hand it's refreshing to see a more active female character and Menelaus comes across as genuinely caring. But on the other hand there is the looming implication of Helen being more valuable/virtuous for not having been abducted and instead remaining chaste.
Nice video :) I have two brief questions:
1) If Aphrodite made Helen fall in love with Paris as a reward for Paris choosing Aphrodite in his judgement, how come she never fell in love with him in Euripides' version? One would expect the spell of a goddess to be more powerful than human fidelity (like the wife of Minos who couldn't help but to be attracted to the bull and concieve Minotaur). Maybe she never met Paris at all and was cast away to Egypt before she would have a chance to?
2) Do we know if women were allowed to perform in Greek theatre or their roles, including the one of Helen, were acted by men?
Thanks for your kind comment 🙂
1) I will have to check if Euripides ignores this or rationalises it away. In other plays where he rewrites myth he has the chorus dismiss the dominant version as hearsay. I'll double check and comment below.
2) Fifth century Athenian drama was largely performed by men, Helen would have been performed by a masked man. Women musicians would appear occasionally in comedies playing the aulos (double pipes) but would not play characters in tragedy.
Thanks!
@@MillennialClassicist Thank you for the kind reply :) I think I may have found the solution to the first question. In the opening prologue, Helen seems to indicate that Paris indeed met only the phantom, not her (lines 29-36). So if they never met, Helen couldn't have fallen in love with him. Hera outwitted Aphrodite. What a cool play :)
I am just watching this for fun and omg ... so cool ♥️ thank you!!
Thanks Eunmi for watching. Please share and let me know if you have any requests for future videos 👍🙏🥰
Lovely
ὡς, εἰ καθ᾽ Ἑλλάδ᾽ ὄνομα δυσκλεὲς φέρω,
μή μοι τὸ σῶμά γ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ αἰσχύνην ὄφλῃ.
More Euripides!
Very helpful thank you
You're welcome Hassan, let me know if there are any other videos that you would like to see from the channel. 😊
Could we say that this work belongs to the tragicomedy?
It's a big debate, people often reclassify Euripides' tragedies with happy endings as Romances. But that is based on modern views of what a tragicomedy should be. Others argue that if such plays were entered as tragedies at the Dionysia, they are tragedies...albeit innovative ones. There is a Greek tradition of komoidotragoidia, but largely in the fourth century. But most believe the fourth-century playwrights were heavily influenced by Euripides 🤷♀️ Formal titles are often anachronistic and become problematic. Good question! X