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Three Plays of Euripides: Alcestis, Medea, The Bacchae
"Paul Roche...must be ranked among the great translators of the Greek dramas in our century."â Robert W. Corrigan
Here are three of Euripides' finest tragedies offered in vivid, modern translations.
Here are three of Euripides' finest tragedies offered in vivid, modern translations.
126 pages, Hardcover
First published May 6, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 29, 2015
Besides, you are a born woman:
feeble when it comes to the sublime,
marvelously inventive over crime.
Oh Medea, you emerge as the force in this tumultuous collection and such a distinction is not lost on the gore-spattered pages where it take an epic hero to return a lost love from the dead to a shitbag husband (Alcestis) and then later a hallucination to inspire an incestual dismemberment (Bacchae). My reading of Medea is anchored by her being foreign-born, a stranger whose displacement is opened wide by her jackass husband and his efforts at social elevation through snagging a new bride of royal (and white) stock. There is something to be said for the original Lady Vengeance. Her vision and pluck are to be respected even if we cower and squirm before her monstrous deeds. She maintains a grace evn in the darkest light.
feeble when it comes to the sublime,
marvelously inventive over crime.
Oh Medea, you emerge as the force in this tumultuous collection and such a distinction is not lost on the gore-spattered pages where it take an epic hero to return a lost love from the dead to a shitbag husband (Alcestis) and then later a hallucination to inspire an incestual dismemberment (Bacchae). My reading of Medea is anchored by her being foreign-born, a stranger whose displacement is opened wide by her jackass husband and his efforts at social elevation through snagging a new bride of royal (and white) stock. There is something to be said for the original Lady Vengeance. Her vision and pluck are to be respected even if we cower and squirm before her monstrous deeds. She maintains a grace evn in the darkest light.
February 7, 2025
these are the best three plays of Euripides. fight me.
December 7, 2025
Great translation
November 10, 2020
~2500 years later, still hard to top the thrill of women inflicting grotesque violence on their children.
Wonderful stuff. Sparse, just a few characters and a chorus speaking on stage. Richly specific, with that distinctive rhythm of Greek tragedy keeping you rooted in that sense of place. And the imagery is just so vivid and universal.
“The Bacchae” is a bit less accessible at a first pass. The comeuppance for an arrogant man’s hubris requires no added explanation, but the presentation of Bacchic madness, and particularly the extended coda (post-tearing her son limb-from-limb), are a bit harder to parse. “Medea”, by comparison, wears its heart on its sleeve. But not in a bad way–even painted in such brash strokes, there's plenty to chew on. My favorite slice is the added messiness when grave injustice becomes common. We have a deft vocabulary for new and shocking indignities... but how to process the same degradations when they're the norm?
Wonderful stuff. Sparse, just a few characters and a chorus speaking on stage. Richly specific, with that distinctive rhythm of Greek tragedy keeping you rooted in that sense of place. And the imagery is just so vivid and universal.
“The Bacchae” is a bit less accessible at a first pass. The comeuppance for an arrogant man’s hubris requires no added explanation, but the presentation of Bacchic madness, and particularly the extended coda (post-tearing her son limb-from-limb), are a bit harder to parse. “Medea”, by comparison, wears its heart on its sleeve. But not in a bad way–even painted in such brash strokes, there's plenty to chew on. My favorite slice is the added messiness when grave injustice becomes common. We have a deft vocabulary for new and shocking indignities... but how to process the same degradations when they're the norm?
Medea
if your husband is won to a new love
The thing is common; why let it anger you...
June 16, 2026
I enjoyed all three of these plays and I believe Paul Roche did a good job translating the stories from Greek into English. This was my first experience with Euripides’ plays so I am yet uninformed if Roche has the best translation, but when I read the stories I got a good sense of the poetry and dynamism of the lines when spoken aloud. The translation notes were helpful and added another layer to the stories, or were necessary for someone like myself to understand the double meanings of phrases or words. I would recommend this compilation novel for anyone trying to get into Euripides and does not want to drop tens of dollars on the Chicago Collection translations which the internet suggests everyone read.
Alcestis
My favorite of the stories, as its plot revolves around the main character being sad his wife died in place. It's a nice love story despite the tragic nature of the play. My favorite part was when Admetus questioned his aging father’s decision to not die for his son, which forced Alcestis to die for her husband.
Medea was good. I liked everything about it except the Deus Ex Machina dragon chariot at the end. Medea was meticulously planning her revenge and covering her tracks, making a deal to be protected in a foreign land and finding safe passage, but all this was seemingly unnecessary since she keeps a flying chariot in the garage. I also wish there was more explanation on who Medea was and her role in Jason and the Argonauts, I only learned some crucial information for the story from a friend after I had read the play, which heavily affected my understanding of Medea as a character.
The Bacchae
Pentheus just wanted his citizenry to be orderly and not conduct drunken orgies in the streets. I thought about that often as Dionysus plotted his revenge against Pentheus for allegedly denying the divinity of the god. I say allegedly because Dionysus was in disguise the whole play and made people give into their primal instincts, I can hardly blame Pentheus for saying this was the work of the ungodly.
As I read the end I couldn’t help but feel this play would make for a great horror movie. Make it a couple hours long to establish the plot and humanize the characters before the big finale, because what a sight it would be.
Alcestis
My favorite of the stories, as its plot revolves around the main character being sad his wife died in place. It's a nice love story despite the tragic nature of the play. My favorite part was when Admetus questioned his aging father’s decision to not die for his son, which forced Alcestis to die for her husband.
Medea was good. I liked everything about it except the Deus Ex Machina dragon chariot at the end. Medea was meticulously planning her revenge and covering her tracks, making a deal to be protected in a foreign land and finding safe passage, but all this was seemingly unnecessary since she keeps a flying chariot in the garage. I also wish there was more explanation on who Medea was and her role in Jason and the Argonauts, I only learned some crucial information for the story from a friend after I had read the play, which heavily affected my understanding of Medea as a character.
The Bacchae
Pentheus just wanted his citizenry to be orderly and not conduct drunken orgies in the streets. I thought about that often as Dionysus plotted his revenge against Pentheus for allegedly denying the divinity of the god. I say allegedly because Dionysus was in disguise the whole play and made people give into their primal instincts, I can hardly blame Pentheus for saying this was the work of the ungodly.
As I read the end I couldn’t help but feel this play would make for a great horror movie. Make it a couple hours long to establish the plot and humanize the characters before the big finale, because what a sight it would be.
July 18, 2026
Euripides is the undisputed KING of Greek tragedy!
Alcestis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the first of the three plays collected in this volume, Alcestis prepares to die after offering her own life to fulfill a bargain that spares her husband, Admetus, from death. It is a profoundly moving meditation on sacrifice, love, and grief and, despite its tragic premise, easily the least bleak play in the collection.
Medea ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If ever there were a story to embody the phrase "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," it is Medea. Jason's Colchian wife, who betrayed her homeland, abandoned her family, and sacrificed everything for the man she loved, finds herself discarded so he can pursue a more politically advantageous marriage.
Medea's vengeance is horrifying, yet Euripides never allows her to become a monster in the eyes of the audience. Instead, he imbues her with a remarkable degree of humanity, forcing us to reckon with both the injustice she suffers and the unspeakable acts she commits. It is no surprise that Euripides has often been regarded as one of the most sympathetic playwrights toward women among the great Athenian tragedians.
The Bacchae ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Easily the darkest, most haunting, and most horrifying play in the collection—and the primary reason I picked this volume up in the first place. I was first introduced to The Bacchae through The Secret History by Donna Tartt and later encountered its influence again in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman.
The wrath of Dionysus is terrifying, intoxicating, and utterly relentless. Euripides crafts a story that is equal parts psychological horror and religious tragedy, culminating in one of the most unforgettable endings in all of Greek literature. Every page of this twisted tale was an absolute delight!!
Alcestis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the first of the three plays collected in this volume, Alcestis prepares to die after offering her own life to fulfill a bargain that spares her husband, Admetus, from death. It is a profoundly moving meditation on sacrifice, love, and grief and, despite its tragic premise, easily the least bleak play in the collection.
Medea ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If ever there were a story to embody the phrase "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," it is Medea. Jason's Colchian wife, who betrayed her homeland, abandoned her family, and sacrificed everything for the man she loved, finds herself discarded so he can pursue a more politically advantageous marriage.
Medea's vengeance is horrifying, yet Euripides never allows her to become a monster in the eyes of the audience. Instead, he imbues her with a remarkable degree of humanity, forcing us to reckon with both the injustice she suffers and the unspeakable acts she commits. It is no surprise that Euripides has often been regarded as one of the most sympathetic playwrights toward women among the great Athenian tragedians.
The Bacchae ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Easily the darkest, most haunting, and most horrifying play in the collection—and the primary reason I picked this volume up in the first place. I was first introduced to The Bacchae through The Secret History by Donna Tartt and later encountered its influence again in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman.
The wrath of Dionysus is terrifying, intoxicating, and utterly relentless. Euripides crafts a story that is equal parts psychological horror and religious tragedy, culminating in one of the most unforgettable endings in all of Greek literature. Every page of this twisted tale was an absolute delight!!
January 28, 2024
I’ve been wanting to read Alcestis since reading a certain book on the NYT bestseller list that purports to kinda/sorta/maybe tie in with the story of Alcestis, but I had trouble seeing how as they don’t exactly align (plus I had other problems with the NYT book, but that’s a different rabbit hole…)
Here, Admetus comes off half a t*rd (the way he treats his father) and half not (resisting Heracles offer); though he never should have accepted Alcestis to stand in his place.
And I’d understood before now that Alcestis never speaks after Heracles brings her back, but in Euripides telling, she is only unable to speak “until three days have passed and she is purged of her consecration to the powers below” as Heracles informs us.
Medea: see other editions
The Bacchae: so Zeus with Semele, Dionysus sewn into his thigh; his birthright not believed; his royal house of Cadmus not respecting him, so revenge. Agàve, his mother, and her sisters in a frenzy do not recognize Pentheus, kill him and tear him apart.
Here, Admetus comes off half a t*rd (the way he treats his father) and half not (resisting Heracles offer); though he never should have accepted Alcestis to stand in his place.
And I’d understood before now that Alcestis never speaks after Heracles brings her back, but in Euripides telling, she is only unable to speak “until three days have passed and she is purged of her consecration to the powers below” as Heracles informs us.
Medea: see other editions
The Bacchae: so Zeus with Semele, Dionysus sewn into his thigh; his birthright not believed; his royal house of Cadmus not respecting him, so revenge. Agàve, his mother, and her sisters in a frenzy do not recognize Pentheus, kill him and tear him apart.
July 4, 2022
Exactly what it says on the tin. There is no additional commentary in this edition, it is just the three plays listed above.
Spoilers ahead
Alcestis- A man trades his wife for eternal life and then realizes that that life without his wife is unbearable. Hercules takes a break from his labors to punch death in the face- this is the best part of the play and happens off screen.
Medea- probably Euripides most famous play. I was familiar with the plot before picking this up and im not all that familiar with Greek plays. Outstanding. Far more narratively complex than I first realized with well developed characters.
The Bacchae- Dionysus takes revenge on his relatives. This one was downright creepy.
Overall this is an excellent collection of plays. I just wish I had some commentary with these plays so I had a better understanding of them.
Spoilers ahead
Alcestis- A man trades his wife for eternal life and then realizes that that life without his wife is unbearable. Hercules takes a break from his labors to punch death in the face- this is the best part of the play and happens off screen.
Medea- probably Euripides most famous play. I was familiar with the plot before picking this up and im not all that familiar with Greek plays. Outstanding. Far more narratively complex than I first realized with well developed characters.
The Bacchae- Dionysus takes revenge on his relatives. This one was downright creepy.
Overall this is an excellent collection of plays. I just wish I had some commentary with these plays so I had a better understanding of them.
March 19, 2023
I feel like these all should be rated individually.
Alcestis is a solid 3.5 - Moral of the story is always be kind to a guest even if you’re going through a tough time because that guest may just bring your wife back from the underworld.
Medea is also a 3.5 - Moral of the story, don’t cheat on your wife or she may kill your children to make you feel sad.
The Bacchae is a 3 - Moral of the story? Uhh Dionysus sucks?
Overall these were quite entertaining though not always attention grabbing.
Alcestis is a solid 3.5 - Moral of the story is always be kind to a guest even if you’re going through a tough time because that guest may just bring your wife back from the underworld.
Medea is also a 3.5 - Moral of the story, don’t cheat on your wife or she may kill your children to make you feel sad.
The Bacchae is a 3 - Moral of the story? Uhh Dionysus sucks?
Overall these were quite entertaining though not always attention grabbing.
February 7, 2025
I read the last play, The Bacchae. Pretty good translation but has no elegance to it. But easy to read.
I prefer the translator such as Gilbert Murray's translation, his is more of that of a poet's translation.
But if you would like to read a great classic in an easy, more modern way than I would suggest you read Roche's.
I prefer the translator such as Gilbert Murray's translation, his is more of that of a poet's translation.
But if you would like to read a great classic in an easy, more modern way than I would suggest you read Roche's.
July 26, 2024
If you're into female rage and witchy maddness, these are the plays for you - not a massive fan of the translator though, some of the preface is grossly patriarchal so I'd find another copy, preferable one translated by women as I'm sure Medea herself would appreciate
May 10, 2018
Alcestis - 3 stars
Medea- 5 stars
The Bacchae- 3 stars
Medea- 5 stars
The Bacchae- 3 stars
June 15, 2022
Alcestis 3.5
Medea 5
The Bacchae 5
Medea 5
The Bacchae 5
October 23, 2022
Only Euripides captures the pure fire of being, the very essence of human experience we want to shy from yet never will.
March 14, 2023
Alcestis: 2 stars
Medea: 5 stars
The Bacchae: 5 stars
Medea: 5 stars
The Bacchae: 5 stars
March 30, 2023
Lovely stories. I read it because I am reading The Silent Patient and wanted some background.
May 22, 2023
The Bacchae - Compared to the other version I've read Paul Roche's translation seems to me worthy of worship in itself. Fantastic
April 30, 2024
Alcestis - funny. heracles is there. ( on obligation )
Medea - THE GOAT! THAT IS WHY HE IS THE GOAT!!!!!
The Bacchae - erm... what the freak? also might be yaoi.
Medea - THE GOAT! THAT IS WHY HE IS THE GOAT!!!!!
The Bacchae - erm... what the freak? also might be yaoi.
March 10, 2026
The original female rage
Read
April 27, 2026nobody told me bacchae is that gay???
June 14, 2026
this rating is solely dedicated to the translation- my goat paul roche locked in as always
April 30, 2018
The Bacchae
Dionysus, the god of wine, prophecy, religious ecstasy, and fertility return to his birthplace in Thebes in order to clear his mother's name and to punish the insolent city-state for refusing to allow people to worship him. The background to his return is presented in the prologue, in which Dionysus tells the story of his mother, Semele, once a princess in the royal Theban house of Cadmus. She had an affair with Zeus, the king of the gods, and became pregnant.
As revenge, Zeus's jealous wife Hera tricked Semele into asking Zeus to appear in his divine form. Zeus, too powerful for a mortal to behold, emerged from the sky as a bolt of lightning and burnt Semele to a cinder. He managed, however, to rescue his unborn son Dionysus and stitched the baby into his thigh. Semele's family claimed that she had been struck by lightning for lying about Zeus and that her child, the product of an illicit human affair, had died with her, maligning her name and rejecting the young god Dionysus.
Dionysus, the god of wine, prophecy, religious ecstasy, and fertility return to his birthplace in Thebes in order to clear his mother's name and to punish the insolent city-state for refusing to allow people to worship him. The background to his return is presented in the prologue, in which Dionysus tells the story of his mother, Semele, once a princess in the royal Theban house of Cadmus. She had an affair with Zeus, the king of the gods, and became pregnant.
As revenge, Zeus's jealous wife Hera tricked Semele into asking Zeus to appear in his divine form. Zeus, too powerful for a mortal to behold, emerged from the sky as a bolt of lightning and burnt Semele to a cinder. He managed, however, to rescue his unborn son Dionysus and stitched the baby into his thigh. Semele's family claimed that she had been struck by lightning for lying about Zeus and that her child, the product of an illicit human affair, had died with her, maligning her name and rejecting the young god Dionysus.
October 6, 2016
Having read The Bacchae for a class and enjoyed it greatly, I took the time to read the other two stories and was not dissapointed in the least! Euripides presents us with three very fascinating tales, all tragic in their own ways. I can't help but question the theory that frames tragedy as Greeklike "tragedy of necessity" ("It is is shame it had to happen, but it in fact had to happen this way") vs. the Christian "tragedy of opportunity" ("It is a shame it had to happen, because it truly could have ended differently"). Euripides as a writer mingled very human flaws with excellent high drama such that the plays were all gripping and thought provoking. As for the translation, I trust in the judgement of the Classics faculty in agreeing that this version was well executed. Commentary often brings up the meter and intent of the original Greek, with notes on omissions.
February 5, 2013
A review from my old blog...
This is my first time reading any of the classic Greek plays. I have to say that I was not disappointed. I have read the Iliad and the Odyssey before and appreciated the great writing evident within but the gore really turned me off.
The plays by Euripides are free from gore but not from classical mythology and the great writing. The pathos of the husband in the first play (I forget the names) losing his wife yet still remembering to show hospitality is such a great story. Then in the end when his act of hospitality which everyone else looks down upon turns out to be the thing that brings his wife back to him from the dead I absolutely fell in love with the play. Such good writing!
I recommend these plays to anyone interested in the classics.
This is my first time reading any of the classic Greek plays. I have to say that I was not disappointed. I have read the Iliad and the Odyssey before and appreciated the great writing evident within but the gore really turned me off.
The plays by Euripides are free from gore but not from classical mythology and the great writing. The pathos of the husband in the first play (I forget the names) losing his wife yet still remembering to show hospitality is such a great story. Then in the end when his act of hospitality which everyone else looks down upon turns out to be the thing that brings his wife back to him from the dead I absolutely fell in love with the play. Such good writing!
I recommend these plays to anyone interested in the classics.
May 30, 2020
Of all the collections of Greek plays I've read so far, this one was probably my least favorite. I really liked Alcestis, Medea was alright, and I disliked The Bacchae. These felt a lot darker than Sophocles or Aeschylus - the vivid imagery and gore involved probably attributed to that. Medea and Agave both go on something of a murderous rampage and it is just horrific. I think it was difficult to be sympathetic to these characters, too, due to the emotionless way they kill (of course, that changes for Agave once she comes out of her stupor and realizes what she's done). I also found it interesting how Dionysus was portrayed in such an evil, merciless way. For those who believed in the gods, this must have been a terrifying warning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2009
Though I'd read "Medea" and "Bacchae" before, this was my first leap into Euripides' lesser-known "Alcestis." Loved all three! Compared to his competitors (Sophocles and, to a lesser extent, the aged--scratch that, DEAD--Aeschuylus), Euripedes seems much more... casual. Rather than leaning his weight on the Choruses' exhaustive declamations (*ahem* Aeschulyus) or crafting interrogative "stagey" dialogue among his characters to share the plot, the playwright seems to enjoy the process of allowing his characters' interactions to unfold. Resultantly, the content--however grisly--is peppered with lots of humanistic (dare I say, funny?) moments.
January 23, 2010
Only having read The Bachae, I don't know if I would read the other two. Of course, Euripides is one of the more wild and crazy mythological writers, but I found some of the reading to be more of a chore than an entertaining experience. Perhaps it is the "tragedy" that I was not a fan of; when the main characters wind up exiled and turned to serpents or sacrificed at the hands of their mother for a bitter god who couldn't leave any disbelievers alone (even if they *were* his own family).
February 10, 2015
I read The Bacchae years ago, when I was in college. I always liked Euripides' progressive attitude towards women. When so many contemporaries wrote disdaining things about women, he took a much more equal view. I enjoyed reading these.
Despite many writers' (or translators') instances on only hearing plays read out loud, the existence of subvocalisation (hearing the words you read in your mind in your own voice) makes that less necessary.
Despite many writers' (or translators') instances on only hearing plays read out loud, the existence of subvocalisation (hearing the words you read in your mind in your own voice) makes that less necessary.
July 4, 2015
My comments address THE BACCHAE.
I have no idea what this play means for I do not understand the cult of Dionysus or the unbridled id released in this story. Even more than the other Greek plays I have read, this one needs a guide but I have found no one who seems to truly understand it. I suppose I enjoyed the story two stars worth, but the third is awarded on the basis of the potential pleasure of coming to understand this story better.
I have no idea what this play means for I do not understand the cult of Dionysus or the unbridled id released in this story. Even more than the other Greek plays I have read, this one needs a guide but I have found no one who seems to truly understand it. I suppose I enjoyed the story two stars worth, but the third is awarded on the basis of the potential pleasure of coming to understand this story better.
November 28, 2015
I enjoyed reading these, I wondered if I'd be able to comprehend them but I believe I did well. The ending on Alcestis seemed abrupt but then I spose there really wasn't much to wrap up. I think it would have been pretty cool to have seen these performances in their day. The plays were Alcestis, Medea and The Bacchae
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews