A play of two parts; Andromache, Euripides

 Why you might read Andromache?

Andromache adds another aspect to the Orestes story. We find Orestes dotted about in the Greek plays. Together they give us a fairly complete picture of the important parts of his life. Well, those after he returns to avenge his father, we have yet to see his growing years. 

While this is one of Euripides' less well-known plays I have included it for two reasons. First, is that of completion. I decided with this project that covering the breadth of an author is of more value than touching the highlights. This gives me a broader view and focus.

Second, is that of completing some stories that would otherwise be less than complete. In this example, we only see what Orestes does in his second exile because of this play.

The Story of Andromache

 We find Andromache at the altar of Thetis in Phthia as a supplicant. She is trying to save her life from Hermione, the King's wife. Hermione is desperate to kill Andromache. Andromache was the king's concubine before he married Hermione. She has also born him a son, while Hermione is barren. Hermione blames Andromache for both her barrenness and her husband's disregard of her. Neoptolemus, the King, is away on business and so is not there to protect Andromache. Andromache has sent her son away, for his own protection. She has also sent for Peleus, the King's father to stop this plan coming to fruition. On her side, Hermione has sent for her father, the King of Sparta.

Menelaus is Hermione's father. He arrives and convinces Andromache to leave the altar or he will kill her son. He has retrieved the son from where she sent him away. After she submits to being bound, he informs her that Hermione will kill her son anyway. Menelaus makes preparations for the killing but Peleus arrives. He challenges Menelaus' authority to kill a slave he does not own. He also asks why there has been no trial and concludes that this is murder. Menelaus concedes to Peleus who unbinds Andromache. She is wary that the two will overtake them and ambush them somewhere. Peleus tells her not to worry, that he may be old but he is still capable.

Hermione's nurse enters and tells of Hermione's regret. She has regrets for the actions that have passed to the point of attempting suicide. Hermione enters and pleads with the nurse to let her kill herself. Lest her husband comes home and throws her out of the house, or worse, kill her.

Orestes arrives and Hermione tells him her troubles. Orestes resolves to take her away and to take him as his own wife as was promised to him before the war on Troy. He tells of going to Neoptolemus and pleading with him to give her as his wife but to no avail. He also tells of a plot he has to kill Neoptolemus for that very slight at the Oracle. Orestes and Hemione flee together.

Peleus returns to hear that Hermione has fled with Orestes. He also hears that Orestes has a plan to kill Neoptolemus at the shrine. A messenger enters and tells Peleus that Neoptolemus is dead. He requests the story: Orestes stirred up the people of Delphi. He did so by telling them that Neoptolemus had come to rob the temple again; with this deception, Orestes gathers a group of men to fall on them as they enter the temple. It is here that Neoptolemus dies.

Peleus laments his age and how he is childlessness. He is visited by Thetis, a goddess and his once wife, she tells him where to take Andromache and her son. She promises that the line will live on through that son. She also tells him to take Neoptolemus' remains back to Delphi and bury him there as a sign to the people of Delphi. Finally, she tells him to wait for her in a seaside cave. From there she will come and get him and make him a god and that he will live with her. 

Reflections on Andromache

This is a play of two parts, it turns rapidly about halfway through. It starts as a play about jealousy and taking that to extremes. It then switches to being about Oreste's revenge on Neoptolemus for taking his wife. He does so by taking both his wife and his life. 

These parts are both rather discrete but also very intertwined. The jealous one is none other than that double promised wife. The first half of the play is a cautionary tale of having two lovers under the same roof. This is true, even if one is a concubine and the other a wife: this causes major strife. The wife is filled with jealousy about the concubine having given her husband a son when so far she has not. We assume from the text that he is no longer sleeping with the concubine. Rather, had her before he was married and yet that is not enough to forestall the jealousy.

Peleus' lament as the play starts to draw to a close is timely. The response of Thetis is both a reminder of the truths of the situation and a promise of the fantastical. It reminds Peleus there is an illegitimate heir even if there are not legitimate ones. If he follows instructions the line can continue through that illegitimate heir. He is also reminded that this is also a continuation of the Trojan line at the same time through the child's mother. Becoming a god is rather fantastical. We only see it mentioned in the play and we assume it comes to fruition later. It does give otherwise poor and lonely Peleus a good ending.

It seems more likely that Orestes hears of the problems with Hermione. He then comes to town at Andromache's request.  That is on his way to the Oracle, seems less likely. He must have already planned to put to death Neoptolemus and his escape with Hemione. The act he puts on that he will take her out of her circumstances is far more self-serving than altruistic. 

What others have to say about Andromache

"As with most of the plays written during this time, the audience was well aware of the myth concerning Andromache and her life after the Trojan War." Comments Ancient history encyclopedia

Greek Legends and Myths notes ​"Andromache was described as being loving, loyal and dutiful, all characteristics of the perfect wife to the Ancient Greeks." about Andromache herself.

Comparisons with other texts

Andromache begins with a supplicant at the altar of a god. This is seen in the beginnings of both Heracles and The children of Heracles., though with those plays we see the supplicant's prayer answered in the form of a defender. By contrast, Andromache is tricked into removing herself from the position of supplicant. This happens before help arrives. Thankfully, it does still arrive and is in time to keep her from being killed with her son. Heracles also involves deaths as we see in Andromache with the death of Neoptolemus. But Andromache feels a lot less like a tragedy as Neoptolemus is not cast as the hero; that being said, neither is he cast as the villain until the second half of the play. We end with the almost triumphant end of his grandfather, Peleus.

Like Euripides' Electra, we again see the vengeful side of Orestes. In Electra, he falls on his father's murderers and kills both his mother and his mother's new husband. Here in this play, we see him killing Neoptolemus for denying him a wife that had been promised to him. You could say that in both plays we also see his softer side in how he interacts with the women. In Electra, he gives hope and love to his sister by giving her to be married. This is after he kills Neoptolemus, while he himself goes to exile. We see this care again in his taking away Hermione from her troubles and taking her as his wife. This, as I have said is a little self-serving.

The Medea is exactly the kind of story that Hermione is afraid of. She is scared that a slave woman who used to be a queen would attack her - or even usurp her position as queen: unlike the Medea. It is this that drives Hermione to such lengths as to plot Andromache's death. She does so while her husband is not around to stop her.  

Conclusion

Andromache is a play of two parts. First, the plotting of the jealous Hermione. Second, the fear of Hermione for the consequences of the failed plot. We have looked at how these two halves intertwine. As well as how Orestes showing up being overly serendipitous. 

There are parallels to be drawn with other Greek plays like Medea or Electra. But these are no carbon copies but rather similar themes or situations. In all Andromache tries to tie off some of the loose ends after the battle of Troy and is an interesting read.

Have you read Andromache? If so what did you think of it? 
 
Want to read Andromache but haven't? Please leave me a comment and let me know why you want to read it.

Hopefully, this post inspires you to take the time to look into it on your own journey of Self Education.

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