EURIPIDES
designates both Alcestis and Heracles or only one, ''cowards"
means the mother and father, not Admetus himself. Admetus
is merely the subject about whom these operations, of dying
or refusing to die, revolve; his own character does not come
into question,
Euripides took a different kind of interest. He gives Alcestis
full honors. The beginning of the play is all hers, and she is
the center of all memories throughout the play. If she appears
cold and self-righteous, if she reserves her passion, on stage, for
her children, and talks only business with Admetus, this is
rather the embarrassment of being disappointed in him than
coldness. Endearments addressed to Admetus at this time
would be intolerable. Her true nature is brought out by what
servants and others have to say about her. Pheres, the father, is
effectively dealt with in his one scene. It is true he wins his
argument, but all the justification in the world does not save
him from being a horrible old man. But the principal char-
acter is Admetus. The theme of the drama is not "if a wife
dies for her husband, how brave and devoted the wife," so
much as "if a husband lets his wife die for him, what manner
of man must that husband be?"
Admetus is drawn to the life, without mercy. He has all the
superficial graces and sincerely loves his wife and children, but
he lacks the courage to die as he ought instead of letting his
wife die for him; and, further, he lacks the courage to admit,
to himself or anyone else, that he ought to be dying but dare
not do it. He has, however, one solid virtue. For if he and
Alcestis are at last saved not by his own strength and resolu-
tion but by Heracles under authority of Apollo, yet there is
good reason why these august persons should be so devoted to
him. Admetus is the best of friends. The right treatment of
guests is a passion, almost an obsession, with him, and in this
matter his conviction makes him firm enough to override so
great a man as Heracles, with a show of force quite different
from his ungrounded violence against Pheres. We may call
him hospitable. But if we do, we must understand that, while
the lavish entertainment of visitors was a special tradition in
Thessaly, the hospitality of Admetus goes far beyond this and
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