Euripides’ Andromache, Summary Automatic translate

The tragedy "Andromache" was written by the great ancient Greek playwright Euripides, presumably at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, around 425 BC. The play’s most notable feature is its pronounced anti-Spartan stance, evident in the extremely unflattering portrayal of the Spartan heroes Menelaus and Hermione, reflecting the political sentiments of the Athenians of the time. The tragedy’s plot served as the basis for Jean Racine’s play of the same name, considered one of the pinnacles of French classicism and successfully performed on theater stages around the world to this day.

Exhibition: Prayer at the Altar

The action takes place in Phthia, before the palace of Neoptolemus (son of Achilles) and the sanctuary of the sea goddess Thetis. Andromache, widow of the Trojan hero Hector, seeks protection at the altar. After the fall of Troy and the death of her first son, Astyanax, thrown from the walls by the Greeks, she became Neoptolemus’s slave. In captivity, she bore her new master a son. However, Andromache’s situation deteriorated sharply after Neoptolemus officially married the Spartan princess Hermione, daughter of Menelaus and Helen.

Hermione, childless, blames her misfortune on a rival slave. She is convinced that Andromache resorted to witchcraft to render her barren and take her place as her legitimate wife. Taking advantage of her husband’s absence, who had gone to Delphi to atone for his guilt before Apollo (he had previously brazenly demanded an answer from the god for his father’s death), Hermione, with the support of Menelaus’ father, who had arrived from Sparta, intends to kill Andromache and her child. Saving her son, Andromache secretly sent him away to strangers and took refuge in the temple of Thetis.

Agon: Clash of Rivals

Hermione appears, dressed in luxurious gold jewelry. A fierce verbal duel breaks out between the women. The Spartan accuses the Trojan of barbaric debauchery, claiming that incest and polygamy are the norm among barbarians. She demands that Andromache leave the temple, threatening to force her out.

Andromache responds with dignity that the cause of Hermione’s failures lies not in witchcraft, but in her own foul character. She reproaches the young queen for being too proud of Sparta’s wealth and constantly reproaching her husband for Phthia’s poverty, instead of winning his love through humility. Andromache advises her rival not to imitate her dissolute mother Helen, but Hermione remains deaf to reason and leaves, promising to find a way to lure her victim out of the sanctuary.

The Cunning of Menelaus

Soon, Menelaus appears, holding Andromache’s newly discovered son by the hand. The Spartan king gives the slave a cruel ultimatum: either she leaves the sacred altar and accepts execution, or the child will be slaughtered before her eyes. Andromache delivers an angry speech, denouncing the baseness of Menelaus, who, as the leader of the Greeks, is fighting with a defenseless woman. She warns that killing the child will bring down the wrath of Neoptolemus on Sparta.

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Andromache decides to sacrifice herself to save her son. She leaves the altar, surrendering herself to the executioners. However, Menelaus treacherously breaks his word. Seizing Andromache, he declares that he will decide her fate, and that of the boy, his daughter Hermione. Andromache curses the Spartans’ treachery, calling them "masters of lies." Both captives, mother and son, are bound and prepared for death.

Peleus’s intervention

As the unfortunates are led out for execution, the aged Peleus, Achilles’ father and Neoptolemus’ grandfather, appears on the scene. Upon learning of the lawlessness, the old man intervenes decisively. He orders his servants to untie Andromache’s hands. Menelaus attempts to object, but is met with a furious rebuke.

Peleus unleashes a barrage of insults on the Spartan, calling him a coward who never even suffered a scratch in war. He accuses Menelaus of killing many Greeks for the sake of his adulterous wife, Helen, who should have been executed rather than returned. The old man also claims that Hermione’s barrenness is a punishment for her evil nature, and that an illegitimate son from a worthy mother is better than the legitimate children of a vicious woman.

Overwhelmed by the old man’s pressure and unwilling to engage in open combat, Menelaus retreats. He declares that he must urgently return to Sparta to pacify the hostile city, but promises to return later and demand a report from Neoptolemus. Peleus frees Andromache and her son, taking them under his protection.

Hermione’s Escape

After her father’s departure and the failure of her revenge plan, Hermione is overcome with panic. She realizes that with her husband’s return, she faces exile or death for attempting to kill his concubine and son. In despair, she attempts suicide, rushing first to the sword and then out of the palace, but the nurse restrains her.

At this moment, Orestes, son of Agamemnon, arrives. He’s on his way to the oracle of Zeus in Dodona and has decided to inquire about his cousin’s fate. Hermione throws herself at his feet, begging him to take her away from Phthia. She repents of having succumbed to the influence of bad counselors and jealousy.

Orestes reveals that he has come for a reason. He reminds her that Hermione was promised to him in marriage before the Trojan War, but Menelaus broke his word for Neoptolemus. Now that Hermione’s position has become precarious, Orestes is ready to take her. Moreover, he reveals a sinister plan: Neoptolemus will never return home. Orestes has already woven a web of intrigue against him in Delphi, accusing the son of Achilles of intending to plunder the temple of Apollo. Hermione and Orestes flee Phthia.

The Death of Neoptolemus

Soon, a messenger arrives to Peleus with tragic news from Delphi. He describes in detail the death of Neoptolemus. When Achilles’ son came to the temple to pray and atone for his earlier insolence, Orestes turned the locals against him by spreading rumors of an impending sacrilege.

While Neoptolemus was offering libations to the gods, he was ambushed by an armed mob. Lacking armor, the hero covered himself with a temple shield and fought bravely, retreating to the altar. He cried out to his attackers, asking why they were killing him, but the only response was a hail of stones and darts. Finally, the wounded hero fell under the blow of the Delphic sword (the text hints at the invisible involvement of Apollo himself or his priests, incited by Orestes). Neoptolemus’s body was thrown out of the temple, but his companions picked it up and brought it home.

The Lament and Appearance of the Goddess

Neoptolemus’s body is carried onto the stage. Old Peleus mourns his grandson, the loss of his only heir, and the ruin of his family. He tears his hair in despair and curses the marriage that ruined his house.

At the tragedy’s conclusion, the goddess Thetis, Peleus’s wife, appears in the sky. She consoles the old man and announces the will of fate. Neoptolemus’s body must be buried in Delphi, so that his tomb will serve as an eternal reproach to the inhabitants of the sacred city for the murder he committed. Andromache must travel to the land of the Molossians and marry Helenus (Hector’s brother); her son by Neoptolemus will establish the dynasty of Molossian kings, and thus the line of Achilles will not be interrupted.

The goddess grants Peleus himself immortality. After death, he will move to the seaside palaces of Nereus and live forever beside his divine spouse, and will also be able to see his son Achilles, who resides on the Isle of the Blessed.

Peleus submits to the will of the gods, acknowledging the futility of human plans in the face of higher powers. The chorus concludes the tragedy with a reflection on the unpredictability of divine providence: "The divine powers manifest themselves in many ways, They decide many things against your expectations: What you thought certain does not come to pass, And the gods find ways for the unexpected; Such is our experience."