Euripides’ Phoenician Women mimics the Aeschylus tragedy Seven Against Thebes with some key differences. One of those is the composition of the members of the chorus. Aeschylus chose Theban women as the members of his chorus but Euripides selected foreign slave women from Tyre en route to Delphi. They don’t have skin in the game like the Theban women do as they watch their royal line destroy themselves before their eyes.
I think Euripides’ choice is so interesting. Not only did he select the Phoenician Women as the members of the chorus but they also occupy the title of the play as well. The play could just have easily been named Jocasta, a character who ties all the others together and who starts the entire play recalling the recent family history.
I love reading these retellings of the myths. I love seeing these slight changes and trying to figure out the reason by behind the choices. I love the themes that keep popping up and the ways these ideas are discussed amongst characters in the worst of circumstances.
These and other topics encompass episode 244 of the podcast.
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