"By the end of his plays, Euripides leaves the audience without one character to fully sympathise with." Discuss to what extent you agree with this statement with reference to at least two plays.

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"BY THE END OF HIS PLAYS, EURIPIDES LEAVES THE AUDIENCE WITHOUT ONE CHARACTER TO FULLY SYMPATHISE WITH." DISCUSS TO WHAT EXTENT YOU AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT WITH REFERENCE TO AT LEAST TWO PLAYS.

CLASSICAL CIVILISATION ESSAY

BY DANIEL HORTON

E

URIPIDES, BY HIS VERY NATURE OF CHARACTERISATION, CREATES VERY complicated characters. He creates them so fully that we get their good points, their bad points and their downright ugly points. This makes it very hard to sympathise with any of them. However, there are some characters we can sympathise with in Euripidean literature.

As the reader or the audience we can fully sympathise with Alcestis. The play 'Alcestis' is an exploration and detailed analysis of how much of a noble sacrifice the title character made. Alcestis gave her life so that her husband could continue to live. There is no greater a sacrifice that one can make for another. When she dies in the play, she does so in such pain that we really feel for her. To put herself through all of this suffering for the man she loves. When she dies and we see the gratitude and the suffering of those who