Admetus

Christ would build; a city where we share in the marriage feast of the lamb and where all are not only friends but brothers and sisters; a city where money means nothing because the streets are made of gold. A Greek poet named Euripides wrestles with a different human problem that of death. In his play “Alcestis” we are told the story of Alcestis, the wife of a man named Admetus. Admetus is given a gift by one of the gods; he is told that he can cheat death and live forever if he finds someone who will die in his place. The condition is that this person must willingly die. “None of Admetus’s kin cares to offer himself in his place, but Alcestis, in wifely devotion, pledges herself to die for her husband.” At this point Heracles enters the picture. Heracles arrives at the door of Admetus seeking hospitality. Admetus graciously welcomes him into his home but after Heracles discovers what has transpired he determines to journey to the underworld to fight death in order to bring back Alcestis. Heracles: “I must save this woman who has died so lately, bring Alcestis back to live in this house, and pay Admetus all the kindness that I owe. I must go there and watch for Death of the black robes, master of dead men… Then, if I can break suddenly from my hiding place, catch him, and hold him in the cirle of these arms, there is no way he will be able to break my hold on his bruised ribs, until he gives the woman up to me. Heracles descends into Hades and after he defeats death,…

death by with the temptations of merrymaking, her place is put into question by the actions of her husband Admetus. Stereotypical gender roles for Greek society are put into question within this play by the role of wife overpowering the husband. In Greek culture during the time of the gods, it was a very male dominated society. Although there were very powerful Greek goddess', the lives of mortal Greek citizens were run by man. This role of man being "top dog," is put into question in…

As we move from reference to the house of Argo in The family Reunion we arrive at the house of Admetus,The Cocktail Party has an allusion to the Greek myth of Euripides’ Alcestis in which, somebody should still die instead of Admetus .As it looks that, though Admetus asks his parents and then his close friends in search of somone who replaces him, all are reluctant to assume his role, until Admetus’s wife, Alcestis, heartily approves to do so, for two reasons first because she loves him and…

Myths are sacred stories that reflect a certain community’s attitudes and beliefs towards a certain topic. In the context of Greek Mythology, students and historians can gain a deeper insight into Greek traditions and rituals. Through Greek myths incorporating the themes of marriage and death, it is clear that The Greeks hold the belief that love is the most powerful force in the world. Even with the undeniable power of the universality of death, love still prevails. In the myths of Orpheus and…

They rarely ever came out of the lair to help. One of the times that they come out is in the story where they help Apollo. When Atropos cut the thread of a King Admetus, Apollo begged the fates to undo their work because he was a friend of Apollos and he didn’t want him to die. The sisters told him they could not undo anything but if someone were to take the kings place in the underworld he could live. The king’s wife Alcestis offered herself to trade places with Admetus. But Hercules ended up…

Jason and Admetus, the husbands of the two, were also comparable. Jason was the man Medea devoted her life to. She gave him help as a sorceress and in return, he married her. However, he betrayed his loyalty to her soon after and chose to be married again. He expected Medea to be complacent and helpful in his decision, and to stay loyal to him. He required a very difficult thing, considering Medea’s personality. However, that is nothing compared to what Admetus asked of Alcestis. When he could…

Hercules isn’t fully devoted to the theme of good and bad hospitality, a portion of it very clearly depicts the essence of its importance. As the great hero Hercules continued to repeat his well-known vicious cycle of mistake and repentance, he came to the home of Admetus to spend a night. Upon entering his house, Hercules sensed the great mourning of the people milling about the house despite Admetus’ attempt to appear joyous. When Hercules inquired about whom the mourning was for, Admetus…

tasks that drain strength, crush spirits, and kill mortals were asked of Hercules and to repent he accepted the hardest tasks in the world without thought. One task was to take Cerberus from the Underworld, but to face a monstrous beast that wants nothing more than to kill anyone near it took strength and bravery only the mighty Hercules had. After completing the Labors of Hercules, Hercules did not stop his primitive ways, but he continued to bring death and pain everywhere he went. Hercules’…

tropes used in Greek art and literature are still common in contemporary media, especially the use of embellishing an event to make a significant event legendary. In the story of Telephos, he seeks shelter at Agamemnon’s palace but was instructed by the queen to hold Agamemnon’s son, Orestes, and sit atop the altar to request sanctuary. This was however, not an original idea and instead was adapted by Aeschylus, from the real story of Themistokles, the Athenian general who led the victory over…

dedicated to her father and was published with Emma’s full name on it. This was unheard of in that time since she was a woman and this was considered she was a woman and this was considered very not private. Her father said that there was no danger in it for Emma since the book was intended for “private circulation only”. In December of 1866, Emma met Ralph Waldo Emmerson at a gathering at Samuel G. Ward’s house. When Emma published her book, she sent it to Mr. Emmerson in Concord,…