ALCESTIS

SCENE: Pherae, in Thessaly, before the house of Admetus.
The front door of the house, or palace, is the center of
the backdrop.
(Enter Apollo from the house, armed with a 6ow.)
Apollo
House of Admetus, in which I, god though I am,
had patience to accept the table of the serfs!
Zeus was the cause. Zeus killed my son, Asclepius,
and drove the bolt of the hot lightning through his chest,
I, in my anger for this, killed the Cyclopes, 5
smiths of Zeus's fire, for which my father made me serve
a mortal man, in penance for my misdoings.
I came to this country, tended the oxen of this host
and friend, Admetus, son of Pheres. I have kept
his house from danger, cheated the Fates to save his life 10
until this day, for he revered my sacred rights
sacredly, and the fatal goddesses allowed
Admetus to escape the moment of his death
by giving the lower powers someone else to die
instead of him. He tried his loved ones all in turn, 15
father and aged mother who had given him birth,
and found not one, except his wife, who would consent
to die for him, and not see daylight any more.
She is in the house now, gathered in his arms and held
at the breaking point of life, because the destiny marks 20
this for her day of death and taking leave of life.
The stain of death in the house must not be on me. I