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Alcestis

 

            In many situations individuals have sacrificed their lives for their values or what they think is most important in life. Alcestis, the Queen and tragic figure of Euripides" Alcestis, is not an exception to all those people who refuse to keep living in order to let her husband (the king of Thessalia) live. It can be argued whether she died because her unconditional love towards Admateus moved her to do so; or whether she died for other particular reasons. The critic and writer, William Arrowsmith argues that Euripides portrays the main figures as characters with an "obsessional nature" (Wilson, 106). He fails or ignores to perceive the nature of the love between Alcestis and the the Thessalian king. Throughout the play Euripides gives many evidences of how the love that bounded them to each other is the most important thing in their respective lives. Both have come to the point where they live for each other, and life, in their definition is their love .
             Admateus refuses to accept the fact that his dear wife will be taken captive by the imaginary character (while realistic in the sense that is the culmination of life), death. When you are dead, I can have no life; on you depends my life, my death, for I cannot be untrue to the love we share!.
             (Euripides, 16).
             These lines exemplify how important is Alcestis for Admateus. He holds her on such position that she has become part of his being. He reasons that he would not be an incomplete being without her. Admateus" declaration is many times said by individuals who are obsessed with a so-called love that did not reach its realization. This could be the reason why Arrowsmith asserts that Euripides" characters are obsessional beings (Wilson, 107). But Alcestis's choose of death in place of her dear husband proves not to be an obsession. An obsession usually lacks of appreciation of reality. Contrastingly, Alcestis's decision seemed to be grounded on reality.


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