Why does Alcestis not speak?

Why does Alcestis not speak?

Admetus asks Heracles why Alcestis does not speak. Heracles replies that three days must pass, during which she will become purified of her consecration to the gods of the Underworld, before she can speak again.

What is the meaning of the play Alcestis?

It is the oldest surviving work by Euripides, although at the time of its first performance he had already been producing plays for some 17 years. It presents the story of Alcestis, the wife of Admetus, who according to Greek mythology sacrificed her own life in order to bring her husband back from the dead.

Why is Alcestis silent at the end of the play?

The second is the silence of Alcestis, after her return from the grave. This silence is due, not to the theatrical exigencies, and the absence of a third actor, as some critics have supposed, but to the deliberate choice of the poet.

What does the name Alcestis mean in Greek?

Greek Baby Names Meaning: In Greek Baby Names the meaning of the name Alcestis is: Name of a woman who gave her life to save her hushand.

Who is King Admetus?

In Greek mythology, Admetus was the king of Pherae in the region of Thessaly, son of Pheres. He participated in the Argonautic Expedition. He was a fair and hospitable king; when Apollo was forced to serve under a mortal because of killing Delphyne, he chose to serve as Admetus’ herdsman.

Why did Admetus hide the death of Alcestis from Heracles?

Hercules was an old friend of the couple, and he arrives at the court knowing nothing of Alcestis’ death. Admetus refuses because he promised Alcestis that he would never marry again, and it would be unseemly for this woman to reside at the court so soon after his wife’s death.

Does Alcestis speak again?

Shortly after fighting with Thanatos, Heracles rescued Alcestis from the underworld as a token of appreciation for Admetus’ hospitality. In some accounts Persephone, ‘the Maiden’, sent her up again. But when she comes back alive she is mute. She chooses not to speak.

Who brought back Alcestis from the dead?

Hercules & Alcestis In the version popularized by Euripides in his play Alcestis, however, Hercules plays the pivotal role in bringing Alcestis back from the dead. In this version, as in the first, no one will take Admetus’ place in death except for Alcestis.

What does Alcestis say to Admetus after Heracles brings her back from the dead?

Hercules & Alcestis The entire city falls into mourning for Alcestis as she hovers on the brink between life and death. Admetus stays by her bedside and she requests that, in return for her sacrifice, he should never marry again and so keep her memory alive.

What does Alcestis mean in English?

Alcestis in American English (ælˈsɛstɪs ) noun. Greek Mythology. the wife of Admetus, king of Thessaly: she offers her life to save that of her husband, but is rescued from Hades by Hercules. Word origin.