[Review for just the Medea in this collection.]Overall, a great take on Medea's story. My usual complaint with plays is crazy jargon, but I liked how James Morwood's translation made the text pretty easy to understand. I wasn't so caught up on trying to understand every single word -- I could really just enjoy reading the play. And after reading about Euripides's version of Medea, I found that I actually liked this story better than Apollonius of Rhodes's (Jason and the Golden Fleece). 3.5

"Of everything that is alive and has a mind, we women are the most wretched creatures. First of all, we have to buy a husband with a vast outlay of money - we have to take a master for our body. The latter is still more painful than the former. And here lies the most critical issue - whether we take a good husband or a bad. For divorce brings shame on a woman's reputation and we cannot refuse a husband his rights...I would rather stand three times in the battle line than bear one child." Medea (...

this play made me stressed because Jason is the dumbest piece of shit in greek antiquity. if i had the chance i would punt homeboy into the sun. Medea on the other hand is haunting and powerful and wild, and remains one of the most enduringly ambiguous figures in Greek tragedy for me. Condemnation of Medea is something i will forever yell about - homegirl transcends her feminine character confinements and enters this wild androgynous space where she's both ruthless and logical but also emotional...

6th March 2018: Have only read Medea at this point (for MA thesis) but will likely go back and finish this volume. This want to ensure I have correct translation logged. An absolutely fascinating play and I cannot wait to track its late seventeenth-/eighteenth-century adaptations and representations.

Ok but Medea riding off in the sky with the bodies of her dead children in Helios' golden chariot pulled by dragons is easily the most badass exit to ever exist.

Writing a whole dissertation on Medea so it’s a good job i like it

Honestly I’m rather fond of these. I had to read Medea for school but I ended up reading all of them. Maybe reading Greek tragedy in Greece after seeing the ancient theater they were performed in made it better. My favorite is Electra.

Medea = gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss.

I've already written my thoughts down for my personal use but I do have one thing to say:Hippolytus is a volcel icon, the more people that reject Aphrodite and her tricks, the better.

Euripides is, I think it's safe to say, the strongest of the three Ancient Greek tragedians. I don't doubt for a minute that Aeschylus enjoyed success with Prometheus Bound, and Sophocles with Antigone or Oedipus Rex, but I feel that Euripides is the only one of the three to truly realise "human" potential, and what it means to be human in a world populated by malevolent gods. In Electra, we see a young woman burdened by the expectations to produce children and obey her husband, simultaneously g...

euripides is, of course, wonderful, and the four plays in this volume ("hippolyta," "electra," and "helen" are included as well) are all lovely--but the translation and the edition are horrid. i know nothing about translating from ancient greek into english, but i do know good english when i read it, and there's little to be found here. james morwood's prose translation is filled with tired phrasing and cliches, which drag down the dynamic subject matter. worse are the "notes" at the end of the

Finally finished it. Four plays in one book. Having previously read Medea, I just read Hippolytus, Electra and Helen. The first two are typical Greek tragedy fare: Hippolytus - Goddess makes step-mother fall in love with step-son; step-son repulsed; step-mother tells husband that step-son has raped her then commits suicide. Husband brings about death of son by use of wild bull from the sea. Electra - Mother murders father, children murder mother.I probably enjoyed Helen the most. The play follow...

As far as the translating/edition, I didn't have any problems understanding these plays. The commentary in the back was immensely helpful to me. Concerning the plays themselves, the published order happened to roughly reflect my tastes in the plays, going from my favorite, Medea, to my least favorite, Helen. Medea was easily the best, in my opinion. I judge the quality of a book by whether or not it's memorable, whether or not it's striking. When I finished it, it horrified and shocked me so muc...

Ancient Greek tragedy takes me to another place. I love mythology and Euripides fulfils this lust and craving with such joy. The characters have real motives and flaws embodying such human characteristics. He writes great women and confronts the values of Athens at this time; which is pretty dam bold. The style is so dense and engaging throughout all the four plays. The happy ending does not disguise the tragedy of the play ‘Helen’. The irony of some characters words contrasts to their actions a...

This was just spectacular .Medea - 1) She’d rather be crazy than weak and I love that .2) The ending was iconic 3) The increase in the mentioning of hands towards the end made the brutal crime way more intimate 4) Medea’ speech about the plight of women to the Corinthian chorus is so memorable and still rings true to a certain degree ( which is scary af ) Hippolytus - 1) The main theme of silence throughout this is hauntingly beautiful 2) The speeches given by the chorus in this is just gorgeous...

I'm leaving a note for the translation rather than than the content of the plays themselves. While the translation is competent, it also loses a great deal of the flow and feel of the text with some wooden translation choices. There are also some issues with clarity at times. The notes are fairly helpful, especially for anyone without an existing knowledge of Greek myth or drama, but tend to the one dimensional in terms of analysis especially in relation to questions on gender. I would recommend...

[ have only read Medea and Hippolytus , but likely to go back and read Electra and Helen later ]The most intriguing stance when looking at these plays is the role of women, both how the specific characters are perceived and how they collectively blame their issues on the female gender as a whole. Though much of Medea's correct and resonant points would in ancient Greek society, have been because she was a mad sorceress, reading her speech from a modern view is shocking to see how relevant her re...

While the translation is fine I found many of the end notes to be rather obvious and unnecessary, even for those who are not versed in Greek mythology.On another note, fie on useless choruses! If they actually did something lives would be saved more often than not. Good grief! At least there are the few that guard the identities of protagonists, but none who will step in to stop a crime.

Not rating this but this was also good. Am I into Greek tragedies now? Perhaps. I still need to pick up Aeschylus. Medea and Electra were my favourite. (I actually think Euripides did a better job with Electra than Sophocles.). Then Helen, which was ok. And Hippolytus was underwhelming. Just my uneducated opinion.

Just as shocking today as it would have been over the centuries since first written in 431 BCE. Love, murder, intrigue, jealous revenge and the most shocking of all infanticide. Compelling reading.

The internal struggles of a woman scorned are best explored through Greek tragedy - and Euripides is the master of the genre. Hall's introduction is also very useful, complete with bibliography for further reading.5* - 10/10

A true classic. Hell hath no fury. When she rides off in a chariot of flames it makes me so happy inside

This was a fun time. Ancient Greeks morals are so bizarre to look at today.

I love Oxford’s versions of classics. Euripides was by far the easiest to read and I loved these plays. Medea is sympathetic despite her actions. And Agmemnon is still a dick in any play ever.

Only read Medea.

funny and interesting collection of ancient greek plays by Euripides

i enjoyed medea and hippolytus immensely but wasn't a huge fan of electra or helen.

only read medea for school

Short and sweet:Medea: you think you can cheat on me? ME?Hippolytus: "I am the most virtuous man ever to have lived and nothing anyone says will prove others"Electra: Euripides throwing shade for 2,000+ yearsHelen: but have you considered, not being a dick?Medea was a damn STRUGGLE because Jason is the most stubborn, pig-headed fuck weasel to have ever existed and I spent the entire time having to put the book down and practice some intense zen level master meditation so I didn't hurl it across

About ten years ago, give or take, I read Nietzche’s ‘Birth of Tragedy’ during a phase where I sought to read a great deal from that philosopher. BoT ended up being the only work by him that had a truly lasting hold on my own journey of reading, despite his “attempt at self criticism” and distance from the work. BoT reserves pride of place for the earlier tragedians, Aeschylus and Sophocles, accusing Euripides of dispensing with the Dionysian in favor of the purely rational. The former playwrigh...