“No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow.”
Source: Alcestis (438 BC), l. 783-4
Quotes from work
Alcestis
Euripidés
Original title
Ἄλκηστις
Alcestis is an Athenian tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. It was first produced at the City Dionysia festival in 438 BC. Euripides presented it as the final part of a tetralogy of unconnected plays in the competition of tragedies, for which he won second prize; this arrangement was exceptional, as the fourth part was normally a satyr play. Its ambiguous, tragicomic tone—which may be "cheerfully romantic" or "bitterly ironic"—has earned it the label of a "problem play." Alcestis is, possibly excepting the Rhesus, the oldest surviving work by Euripides, although at the time of its first performance he had been producing plays for 17 years.
“Today's today. Tomorrow we may be
ourselves gone down the drain of Eternity.”
Source: Alcestis (438 BC), l. 788
“A second wife is hateful to the children of the first; A viper is not more hateful.”
Source: Alcestis (438 BC), l. 309
Source: Alcestis (438 BC), l. 358
Context: Oh, if I had Orpheus' voice and poetry
with which to move the Dark Maid and her Lord,
I'd call you back, dear love, from the world below.
I'd go down there for you. Charon or the grim
King's dog could not prevent me then
from carrying you up into the fields of light.
