Medea and Other Plays (Penguin Classics)

Euripides is the tragic author who rings most familiar to modern ears. While Aeschylus is not far removed from the origins of tragedy in Dionysian rituals, the constant theme of Euripides is the effort we must make to sustain civilization and a reasonable life within it against the entropic forces which always threaten its dissolution. The influence of Socrates is not hard to discern. The gods are now believed in because they must be the enforcers of moral law. Men and women ought to resist unreasonable emotional urges or face tragic consequences. The single worst fate man can encounter is the loss of his reason. That tragedy made this turn, the gods being pushed off stage and made objects of belief instead of necessity, the characters depicting real people instead of irrational forces of nature and the warm embrace of reason and everything civilized—these are all marks of progress towards a freer and happier human condition. Euripides should be celebrated as a herald of enlightenment thinking. And, of course, the plots themselves have their own interest and merit. All college students should be exposed to Greek civilization and Euripides, humanizing the Socratic revolution by incorporating it into the tragic tradition, is an excellent vehicle to introduce it. This translation, while some fifty years old, reads like modern English and can still be used at the collegiate level. Highly recommended.

Everything ok

The book was awesome to read and also very easy to understand. I really enjoyed this book. If your looking to read great book on Greek tragedies then this is the book for you.

My kids used this for a unit on Greek plays. The book is a good resource. Easy enough to digest given the complexity of the topic. Good notes included.

Good paper weight

Love Euripides. It's a decent translation.

Reading Medea in 2025 is surprisingly fresh and an exciting read! Way to go, Euripides!

Great Book, would recommend especially for students or if you just want a Shakespeare classic.